Pakistan was obliged to develop nuclear capability: foreign secretary

E-Paper | April 30, 2026

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry stated that "Pakistan had been obliged to develop nuclear capability for self-defence and deterrence."

Aizaz made the statement at an event organised today on the sidelines of the 70th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to commemorate the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.

He added it was an "existential choice that Pakistan made to preserve strategic stability in South Asia".

The foreign secretary underscored that non-discriminatory, universal, comprehensive and general nuclear disarmament remained the highest priority on the international security agenda.

He reaffirmed Pakistan’s support to the goal of elimination of nuclear weapons through a global, verifiable and non-discriminatory legal instrument.

While reiterating that Pakistan’s nuclear policy continued to be guided by the principles of restraint and responsibility, Aizaz said the pursuit of peace and stability in South Asia through the resolution of all outstanding issues, including the core issue of Kashmir, remained the cornerstone of Pakistan’s policy.

Read: Broadest deterrence capability to be kept

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Pakistani

Oct 01, 2015 02:09pm

Why Pakistan have to give explanation everytime to world why we developed nuclear weapons?? its meaning less Pakistan have nukes for over 18 years now and stated working on it in 1970s.

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Prasan

Oct 01, 2015 02:11pm

I am against the elimination of nuclear weapons. These weapons stop the unnecessary wars. I would rather suggest that all countries should have 'no first use policy' rather than destroying these weapons.

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Jaffer

Oct 01, 2015 02:35pm

@Prasan I think India and Pakistan should sign the NO WAR policy that Pakistan is pushing for the last 10 years and India is refusing to sign it.

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Oct 01, 2015 02:56pm

Now can you please be obliged to develop your people as well ?

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KM3

Oct 01, 2015 03:34pm

Ok. Dokay. Now when will you politicians spare your valuable time to develop the country?

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M.Saeed

Oct 01, 2015 03:34pm

Let us agree on a war moratorium for a minimum period of 5-years.

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saomeone

Oct 01, 2015 03:59pm

Next they will ask India to halt economic development to preserve Strategic Economic Balance in South Asia.

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Pixell

Oct 01, 2015 04:10pm

Pakistan is also obliged to economic development. What about that??

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GAMBLER

Oct 01, 2015 04:37pm

Ok. But why didn't Nawaz Sharif share the proof of Indian Terrorism at the UN conference & expose India?

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Ashutosh

Oct 01, 2015 04:46pm

How will you contain India if you start elimination of nuclear weapons? What kind of restraint and responsibility is threatening India every time with nukes?

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Timeto stopthis

Oct 01, 2015 05:09pm

Pakistan threatens India with the use of nukes everytime things get heated between the two countries, whereas India has never threatened the use of its nuclear weapons at any point of time except in retaliation. Pakistan needs to behave like a mature and responsible country,

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kianipura.Washington

Oct 01, 2015 05:36pm

India will be future Ukraine, wait and see

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Shehzad

Oct 01, 2015 05:56pm

Nukes are probably a good thing that happened to Pakistan. With military disparity increasing vis a vis its neighbors, nukes make sure Pakistan only invests in its delivery mechanism and not so much on conventional weapons. The enemies of Pakistan probably thought they could do a USSR on Pakistan but that plan failed spectacularly. All Pakistan needs is a few years of stability and we will be strong on the economic front.

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Canada

Oct 01, 2015 06:16pm

Could you imagine today if PK didn't have nukes what the Modi would do? In retrospect it was tough but PK made the right decision or else who knows what India would have committed.

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richard

Oct 01, 2015 06:27pm

@kianipura.Washington I hope you are right . don't want see you disappointed

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Ghaznavi

Oct 01, 2015 06:44pm

"He added it was an "existential choice that Pakistan made to preserve strategic stability in South Asia". Well said! Indians have miscalculated us, they thought that we cannot develop such capability. They will be surprised again when Pakistan rises out of this mess and looks eye ball to eye ball to India.

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subhan

Oct 01, 2015 06:46pm

We will never forget that India warned Pakistan after exploding their bomb in 1998 to accept their diktat in the region? Or that Israel too has constantly blackmailed the world into accepting their domination of the region and their narrative really on the backs of their nuclear arsenal?

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Temur khan

Oct 01, 2015 06:56pm

The learned gentleman is right the deterrent has prevented full blown wars and it's consequences for the masses

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Cool-Dude

Oct 01, 2015 07:01pm

Man... you got all your priority wrong (upside-down). Take care of wellbeing of people first. Existential threat is from within, from terrorists and not from outside. India has enough problem to deal with, and does not want any more with Pakistan. So, calm down.

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Lucky Star

Oct 01, 2015 07:47pm

@Timeto stopthis India is constantly threatening Pakistan with its conventential weapons through cross border firing and limited war. Do not forget that India is 5 times bigger than Pakistan.

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Lucky Star

Oct 01, 2015 07:51pm

@Cool-Dude Really, why should we belive you when India is constantly threatning with cold, hot war and limited war?

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Zak

Oct 01, 2015 08:10pm

@Jaffer India will not honour it, like the UN kashmir resolution, Indus water treaty, 2003 Loc non violation agreement. India is hopeless case.

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anony

Oct 01, 2015 10:00pm

Thank you Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan for making us safer by providing us with Nuclear capability. India will think twice before casting its evil eye upon Pakistan. Long live Pakistan.

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Justice

Oct 01, 2015 10:10pm

Interesting, just yesterday, Pakistan awarded $2.5B contract to Chinese company to build pipeline. If Pakistan has technical know how to build the N bomb and was obliged to do it? Does it not have technical know how and obligation to build a pipeline. at $2.5B, Pakistan can employee over 83,000 people for 2.5 years at a salary of PKR1,00,000 per month. Makes you think, how Pakistani government thinks!

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NatureLover

Oct 01, 2015 11:25pm

Technology was given by North Korea with Chinese consent, not developed. Fact.

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Ibrar

Oct 02, 2015 12:15am

@M.Saeed War is most unlikely between India and Pakistan in the foreseeable future, so why waste energy in trying to get parties for a written record. However given India's unstable mentality and untrustworthy attributes no war pact between India and its other neighbours might make sense. look how India is trying to choke Nepal.

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Ibrar

Oct 02, 2015 12:36am

@Ashutosh Remember Pakistan is not an easy push over even in conventional terms but yes Nukes were necessary to keep any evil minded confined to their holes. Pakistan would never Nuke India or any other country. My only concern is THE ISIS getting hold of some of these deadly toys, whose suicide squads then transporting these weapons in their backpacks to the required target , bypassing the need for a delivery system such as missiles. Pakistan apparently have several fire-walls around their nukes but obviously they must continue to maintain those security measures.

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Ibrar

Oct 02, 2015 12:51am

@Canada One can see what you mean. But remember Pakistan identified its vulnerabilities of the past and has moved on and has a strong conventional defence. So even without nukes it would not be an easy pushover and would in return of any misadventure would damage the invader severely. What Pakistan must do is to stop some of its rogue politicians to mention nukes in every silly little verbal exchange they have with anyone.Boasting about nukes indicates immaturity and weakness and the world does not take good view of that.

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obivankanobi

Oct 02, 2015 03:57am

@GAMBLER because there is no tangible proof of Indian terrorist involvement. It has been fabricated for local consumption. Therefore NS did not bring it up.

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original realist

Oct 02, 2015 11:00am

Had Pakistan convinced iron brother China not to become nuclear power, India would not have access to justification of 'self-defence and deterrence' for going nuclear. This in turn, would have ensured Pakistan itself would not have access to reason of 'self-defence and deterrence' for going nuclear. Thus Asia would have been oasis of peace...

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Jai

Oct 02, 2015 11:26am

@Prasan, Kargil happened AFTER both nations had nukes. I don't think nukes will prevent a war. Common sense and restraint might.

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Mohit

Oct 03, 2015 02:18am

You have no existential crisis. Thrice we have marched to Lahore only to turn back either on US insistence or our own conscience about peace

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