Pakistan has assessed that India has enough fissile material to build more than 2,000 nuclear warheads, The Dawn reported on Thursday.
National Command Authority (NCA), Pakistan’s apex policy-making body, noted that India’s rapidly growing nuclear programme and absence of a conflict resolution mechanism were upsetting strategic stability in the region.
The situation was forcing Pakistan to maintain ‘full- spectrum deterrence capability’, the report said.
Contrary to international estimates which give a watered down view, Pakistani assessment is that India has enough fissile material, both reactor and weapon-grade plutonium, for more than 2,000 warheads.
— The Dawn
It cited a paper published by the International Institute of Strategic Studies this year that noted that New Delhi’s Plutonium stocks is on an increase and the by end of 2013 India had enough reactor-grade Plutonium for 2,000 warheads.
The NCA meeting, held on Wednesday, was presided over by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and attended by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, and Advisor on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz among others.
The meeting agreed that Pakistan should maintain full- spectrum deterrence capability in line with the dictates of credible minimum deterrence against all forms of aggression.
(With inputs from PTI)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)