Over the past decade or so, we have seen a sharp increase in Indian hostility towards Pakistan. Lately, this has reached the nadir of open, blatant, defamation on international fora based on fabrications, coupled with vitriolic rhetoric espoused by Indian civil and military leadership, as well as increased confrontation along the LoC. With General Bipin Rawat's recent statement on the 'Cold Start Doctrine', Pakistani defence analysts have
felt the need to reinforce Pakistan's point of view.
So far, Pakistani doctrine has been contextualized within the dynamic of ongoing Pak-India relationship. But a doctrine is only useful if it considers and addresses all potential threats. What has been found lacking in the Pakistani response is a consideration of the international political environment. Here, we turn our focus on larger forces that could be involved in shaping Indian aggression.
The list of nations who have apprehensions about Pakistan is long and varied. But amongst many other grievances, the single most thorniest thorn in the delicate side of the 'comity of nations' is that of Pakistani nukes. And this discomfort extends beyond the usual jitters of non-proliferation doves. As such, many an international player would sleep sounder in a world where Pakistan has no nuclear weapons.
In this context, an Indo-Pak war provides the most convenient pretext for anti-Pakistan forces to target our nuclear infrastructure. Hence, in formulating its doctrine, Pakistan must address the threat posed by these international actors.
The actual doctrine will be formulated by the establishment, based on many insights available to them. Here, we propose a single update to the existing Pakistani doctrine: the use of nuclear weapons MUST be immediate and full-force at the very onset of hostilities. Given the multiple threats faced by Pakistan, the luxury to wait till conventional armaments run low is simply not available to us. Only through such rigid, apocalyptic posture can we guarantee peace and stability in South Asia. Si vis pacem, para bellum.
