Spooked Imran Khan dials down talk of nuclear weapons, underlines ‘no-first-use’ policy

After brazenly highlighting Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal amid ongoing tensions with India, Imran Khan on Monday dialled down his aggressive stand and said that his country won’t be the first to use nuclear weapons in case of a war or a conflict.

With his calls to the international community in the aftermath of India revoking Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir not getting even an iota of support, Imran assumed an aggressive tone and even mentioned nuclear weapons Pakistan has in an address to his country. His ministers too have been speaking of nuclear weapons in the most irresponsible manner possible. On Monday, however, Imran took a step back and said he remains committed to not making the first use of such weapons. “We both are nuclear-armed countries. If these tensions increase, the world could be in danger,” he said. “There will be no first from our side ever.”

While a nuclear conflict could have massive ramifications for not just Pakistan and India but for the entire world, there have also been grave concerns in the past about how well Islamabad can guard the country’s nuclear installations. There have been widespread suspicions that terrorists could take over one of more of these extremely sensitive installations which could result in a massive threat to global peace and security.

Even a non-nuclear conflict with India could have a detrimental impact on Pakistan, a country that is grappling with ginormous economic woes. This has not stopped Imran from making false allegations against India and indulging in creating a narrative based on lies, especially with regards to the Kashmir issue.