Pakistan’s new nuclear policy

New Delhi might view China’s cooperation with Pakistan on geo-economic issues as a strategic irritant, rather than an alarming factor in its relations with the two adversaries, but nuclear cooperation between the two is an entirely different matter. There is a crucial difference in the nuclear doctrines of the two countries: India has a No First Use policy and relies entirely on the threat of massive retaliation to achieve nuclear deterrence; Pakistan’s doctrine, on the other hand, calls for a first strike if it feels “threatened” by India in any way: economically, politically or militarily. If it uses China’s help to develop advanced tactical nuclear weapons, ranging from small-yield missile warheads to atomic demolition munitions, that is cause for serious concern. Combining them with various verticals of Pakistani firepower, especially Pakistan Navy, and thus developing its ‘zero meters’ and FSD capability would strengthen not only Pakistan’s deterrence capability but would also tempt Pakistan to play the play of nuclear blackmail even more blatantly than it already has. what it does, thus placing the South Asian region in a tinderbox.