INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
NEW DELHI: We all know that Pakistan's economy is in shambles
Frequent protests are erupting over high fuel prices and exorbitant power bills
Petrol is being sold at a record high of Rs 300/litre and there are power outages of many hours across many cities.After trying many times
to seek financial help from China and Gulf nations, Pakistan has to ultimately agree to tough IMF conditions for a bailout.However, amid all
this economic catastrophe, Pakistan is still continuing with its obsession of increasing its nuclear arsenal.According to a research report
by the Federation of American Scientists, "Pakistan continues to gradually expand its nuclear arsenal with more warheads, more delivery
systems, and a growing fissile material production industry.""Analysis of commercial satellite images of construction at Pakistani army
garrisons and air force bases shows what appear to be newer launchers and facilities that might be related to Pakistan's nuclear forces,"
the report says.The scientists have estimates that Pakistan now has a "nuclear weapons stockpile of approximately 170 warheads".Here are
highlights from the report:*Pakistan currently is producing sufficient fissile material to build 14 to 27 new warheads per
and Mirage V fighter squa- drons
site is located five kilometers northwest of the Masroor base.Land-based ballistic missilesPakistan appears to have six currently
operational nuclear-capable, solid-fuel, road-mobile ballistic missile systems: the short-range Abdali (Hatf-2), Ghaznavi (Hatf-3),
Shaheen-I/A (Hatf-4), and Nasr (Hatf-9), and the medium-range Ghauri (Hatf-5) and Shaheen-II (Hatf-6)
Two other nuclear-capable ballistic missile systems are currently under development: the medium- range Shaheen-III and the MIRVed Ababeel
Land-based missile garrisonsAs per the report, an analysis of commercial satellite imagery suggests that Pakistan maintains at least five
Sargodha garrisonThe ever expanding nuclear arsenal of Pakistan is not just a matter of concern in India but for the entire world
nuclear security and command and control procedures".
