http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...over-Pak-nuke-arsenal/articleshow/4594926.cms
Army chief expresses concern over Pak nuke arsenal
30 May 2009, 0130 hrs IST, Rajat Pandit, TNN
NEW DELHI: The steady flow of reports that Pakistan is fast bolstering its nuclear arsenal is slowly but surely triggering alarm bells in the Indian security establishment, with Army chief General Deepak Kapoor on Friday calling upon the global community to pressure Islamabad to "cap the enhancement of its nuclear capabilities".
Taking note of media and other reports about Pakistan's drive to increase its arsenal much beyond 60 nuclear warheads, Gen Kapoor said, "If the reports are to be believed, I am told the number (of Pakistan's nuclear warheads) is not limited to 60 but is increasing. So, that is definitely a matter for concern."
He suggested that the augmentation of nuclear weapons pointed to Pakistan's aggressive intent. "Even if Pakistan is looking at deterrence, they require a minimum amount. But when you keep on increasing it, it becomes a matter of concern," General Kapoor said.
His comments came a day after foreign minister S M Krishna voiced concern over developments in "our neighbourhood", which he said were being "closely monitored".
Along with Pakistan's augmentation of its nuclear weapon stockpile and delivery systems
, the Indian establishment is also closely watching Islamabad's efforts to fast supplement its ongoing enriched uranium-based nuke programme with a weapons-grade plutonium one.
"Pakistan's two new heavy-water reactors being built at its Khushab nuclear facility, with China's help, are clearly geared towards producing weapons-grade plutonium. This will certainly boost their nuclear arsenal," warned a top official.
India's nuclear weapons programme, incidentally, has largely been plutonium-based, basically Pu-239 produced in research reactors like Cirus and Dhruva at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre.
With the need to factor in both Pakistan and China for its "minimum credible deterrence" posture, estimates indicate India's weapons-grade plutonium stockpile is enough for over 80-90 warheads at present.
Significantly, while India has a clear and declared "no-first use" nuclear weapons doctrine, Pakistan has deliberately kept its policy for use of weapons of mass destruction quite vague.
Islamabad, in fact, staunchly believes the ambiguous nature of its nuclear policy deters India from undertaking any conventional military action against it despite repeated provocations.
The latest US Congressional Research Service report, on its part, holds, "Deterring India's nuclear weapons and augmenting Pakistan's inferior conventional forces are widely believed to be the primary motivation for Islamabad's nuclear arsenal."
China, India's other security threat, has a huge stockpile of weapons. But while China is in a different league altogether, with its active nuclear missile and submarine programme sending shivers down even America's back, India lags behind even Pakistan in terms of delivery systems for the nuclear warheads.
With active help from China and North Korea, Pakistan's arsenal of Shaheen and Ghauri series of ballistic missiles as well as Babur cruise missiles have stolen a march over India's missile inventory. Moreover, its F-16 fighters obtained from US have also been configured to deliver nuclear weapons.
Then again, the prospect of Taliban or other radicals getting access to enriched uranium or nuclear know-how in a strife-torn Pakistan continues to be a real and present danger.
In fact, some hold that the concern should not be as much about Pakistan's actual nuclear warheads or delivery systems falling into the wrong hands as about the real risk of jihadis gaining the wherewithal to make "dirty bombs".
