KARACHI: Pakistan’s National Command Authority (NCA) Adviser Lieutenant General (retired) Khalid Ahmed Kidwai has emphasised that Ukraine’s unilateral decision to give up its nuclear weapons following the collapse of the Soviet Union offered a crucial lesson to Pakistan that it must continue to preserve and strengthen its nuclear capability against all potential threats.
Speaking at the Pakistan Institute of International Affairs (PIIA) seminar titled ‘2024 in Retrospect’ in Karachi, Gen Kidwai emphasised the importance of Pakistan’s nuclear deterrence capabilities in the face of evolving geopolitical threats.
The adviser said over the past many decades Pakistan’s nuclear deterrence capability has been a cornerstone of the country’s national security and has assumed even more importance in the challenging geopolitical and economic atmosphere.
While reading a paper, Gen Kidwai mentioned six important events in order to get a feel of the challenges that Pakistan faces.
Gen Kidwai said the first event was the Balakot-Rajouri exchange of strategic airstrikes in 2019 between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), due to India’s aggressive military approach. He said the two-day skirmish did not turn out too well for India.
He stated that while the Indian Air Force (IAF) failed to achieve its objective of striking the alleged terrorist camps in Balakot, the skirmish led to the downing of two IAF aircraft by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and the capture of Wing Commander Abhinandan.
This, he added, sent a strong message of deterrence to India. Pakistan’s nuclear deterrence proved effective, while India’s reckless behaviour as a nuclear power was exposed on the global stage, he asserted.
Indian military humiliated
The second event, he mentioned was India’s military fiascos with China creating a dilemma of a two-front war for India. He said China cut India and its military to size without firing a bullet humiliating the Indian military.
Gen Kidwai said the third event was the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. He said, unfortunately, the Afghan Taliban soon turned against Pakistan resulting in deteriorating internal and external security situations on Pakistan’s western border.
He said the fourth incident was India’s unjustified attack on Pakistani territory by a nuclear-capable Brahmos missile in 2022 which Pakistan preferred to handle politically. The attack was another example of “India’s irresponsible conduct as a nuclear power”.
He added the fifth was Iran’s missile strike on Pakistani territory near Panjgur in 2024 which was rather perplexing. Pakistan had no option but to respond with appropriate counter-strikes, which carried a clear message that prompted Iran’s foreign minister to visit Islamabad in an effort to de-escalate tensions.
The sixth event was a positive step toward Pakistan-Bangladesh rapprochement, a move that caused concern for India, he noted.
Gen Kidwai said Ukraine gave up almost 2,000 nuclear weapons after the fall of the Soviet Union. Against the backdrop of the war between Russia and Ukraine, he said the consequences are there for everyone to see. The lesson: “Pakistan must continue to preserve and strengthen its nuclear capability against all potential threats.”
He highlighted the rapidly evolving political and military developments in West Asia, emphasising their significance for Pakistan, particularly in light of recent US statements and actions targeting Pakistan’s nuclear and missile programmes. He stressed the importance of closely monitoring these developments with utmost seriousness.
Discussing today’s global geopolitical landscape, he noted that China, as an emerging superpower, presents numerous challenges to the US He expressed gratitude to Pakistan’s elders for making the strategic decision decades ago to establish strong ties with China. “In the coming years, Pakistan will find itself on the right side of history,” he remarked.
Gen Kidwai then outlined the emerging challenges facing Pakistan, highlighting the delicate “balance” the country must maintain within the South Asian context.
He also addressed US sanctions and firmly dismissed the baseless allegations that Pakistan could target the US with its missile technology. Concluding his presentation, the general described 2024 as a year of normal regulatory adjustments.