With the growing militancy of in-houses foreign mercenaries, Pakistan is sitting on the larvae unending. It seems Pakistan a counter terrorism alley of US in measurably failing in controlling the terrorist activities inside the country. The recent bombing in different parts of Pakistan recalls the country how the situation can be reversed in a short span of time. The activities for which Pakistan was infamous quite for some time is now reeling under the same backfire, boomeranging the entire act on its own face. In this helm of affair the much worry is now for the existing nuclear facilities in Pakistan.
The chance of Islamabad’s nuclear assets falling into the hands of militants especially the tribal lot, have really increased many fold as most of the arsenals are located in the sensitive north-western part of the country, which is dominated by tribal militants. Eventhough Pakistani Security Research Unit claims that there are robust arrangements for the security of Nuclear Weapons in Pakistan, it is well known to the experts that it contain weakpoints too which may lead to devastation if falls in the hands of militants. On top of the frequent political turmoil in the country may give opportunity to militants to exploit the situation & act smartly.
To assure the security of its Nuclear Weapons against an Indian threat, Pakistan established many of its nuclear facilities in the northern & western parts of the country. But in the changing situation the advantage of being secured from India is posing a disadvantage being in the midst of Taliban & Tribal dominated outfits. So this had the unintended consequence of placing them close to the probable destroyers. As observed recently, these tribal & Taliban militants might launch an unanticipated assault against a part of Pakistan’s Nuclear Weapons infrastructure for their best use.
God forbid, if the pro-Taliban tribal militants take possession of nuclear weapons or components and create a radiological hazard by using explosives or fire to try to destroy the weapons, what will be the consequences? Whatever tall claims have been made by Pakistani authority’s time to time in regard to the safety of nuclear facilities perhaps not enough to prove the credentials. It is evident that if the internal turbulence continues in Pakistan for a longer period of time, no one can probably stop the Taliban & other militants of northern & western parts of the country to take guard of nuclear facilities as they have always the urge & planning to do so. Whatever measures so far taken by Pakistani authorities cannot provide complete assurance against this possibility. Hence Pakistan has to contain the militancy which it has created for its own comfort once upon a time, otherwise, it will be repetition of popular Indian story of “Bhasmasur”.