Pakistan’s Nuclear Weapons Program

After the first nuclear test by the China in 1964, then-Foreign Minister of Pakistan Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto concluded that India will follow China in nuclear arms race and would itself be looking to become a nuclear weapons state. He was of the view that in such a situation Pakistan would be left woth little option but to develop nuclear weapons of its own.Pakistan's defeat at the hands of India in 1971 war further influenced the view of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto who was now the President of Pakistan that Pakistan would require nuclear weapons of its own for an effective deterrence against its large neighbor. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto initiated a program to develop nuclear weapons and support infrastructure for Pakistan and Nuclear tests by India in 1974 acted as fuel on the fire as this forced Pakistan to accelerate their efforts to develop nuclear weapons.

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Posted in: Nuclear,Pakistan