Article 39 of the UN Charter states, “it constitutes a direct threat to international peace and security, if a country is found to be non-compliant with its safeguards”. India has proved to be an incompetent and irresponsible state in terms of its nuclear safeguards and other related issues in the recent past.
On March 9, 2022, an ‘unarmed supersonic missile’ struck Pakistan’s territory, which posed a serious threat to regional security once again. The ‘flying object’ entered Pakistani territory from the Indian territory of Suratgarh at 1843 hours PST, and fell to the ground near the town of Mian Channu in Pakistan at about 1850 hours, causing damage to civilian property.
In the aftermath, Pakistani officials demanded an explanation from India for the irresponsible act that could have endangered regional security. In response, the Indian Defence ministry issued a statement and admitted the “accidental firing of a missile”, and termed it “deeply regrettable.”
If this missile was fired due to a ‘technical glitch’ then it is a big failure. It could have started a war. In this regard, the security experts’ raised questions as to why India lost its missile and was providing an explanation three days later. Serious questions are being raised about India’s ability to handle such sensitive technology by experts. Moreover, the missile passed close to the route of commercial airlines at home and abroad and endangered the safety of citizens.
Additionally, it should be noted here, India has become a state ruled under a fascist ideology, which has proved its recklessness by attempting to bomb Pakistan in 2019. That is why Pakistan continues to urge the world to keep an eye on India’s irresponsible behaviour. It is also worth noting that on March 1, a Kalvari class Indian submarine was detected by the Pakistan Navy, and it thwarted the Indian attempt to enter Pakistani waters. This is the fourth detection of its kind in the last five years. The recent incident is not a trivial matter but a matter of serious concern for regional peace if viewed under the long-term lens.
On the other hand, there have been several cases of Uranium theft in India in the recent past, which also indicates India’s ineptitude in safeguarding its nuclear arsenal related material. In recent years, there have been dozens of incidents of uranium theft that took place in India; the most recent incident occurred on June 4, 2021, where seven people were arrested 6.4 kilograms of uranium was seized from their possession.
In conclusion, such loose state control over uranium and missiles shows that India has to go a long way before becoming a responsible nuclear power. These cases are evident indication of how insecure India’s nuclear programme is, which could at any time fall into the hands of terrorists or a group and wreak havoc. At the behest of India, there has been a lot of propaganda around the world about the insecurity of Pakistan’s nuclear material, but there has been no evidence that uranium has been sold in Pakistan or that its nuclear material has fallen into the hands of any terrorist or group.
However, India’s nuclear program does not appear to be safe in any way, which could be dangerous for the entire world, including the region. Global powers, especially the nuclear club, should take immediate and stern notice of India’s irresponsibility and thoroughly examine its command-and-control system for its nuclear programme.
Muhammad Akhter
The writer is a freelance columnist.
He tweets
@MAkhter_.
On March 9, 2022, an ‘unarmed supersonic missile’ struck Pakistan’s territory, which posed a serious threat to regional security once again. The ‘flying object’ entered Pakistani territory from the Indian territory of Suratgarh at 1843 hours PST, and fell to the ground near the town of Mian Channu in Pakistan at about 1850 hours, causing damage to civilian property.
In the aftermath, Pakistani officials demanded an explanation from India for the irresponsible act that could have endangered regional security. In response, the Indian Defence ministry issued a statement and admitted the “accidental firing of a missile”, and termed it “deeply regrettable.”
If this missile was fired due to a ‘technical glitch’ then it is a big failure. It could have started a war. In this regard, the security experts’ raised questions as to why India lost its missile and was providing an explanation three days later. Serious questions are being raised about India’s ability to handle such sensitive technology by experts. Moreover, the missile passed close to the route of commercial airlines at home and abroad and endangered the safety of citizens.
Additionally, it should be noted here, India has become a state ruled under a fascist ideology, which has proved its recklessness by attempting to bomb Pakistan in 2019. That is why Pakistan continues to urge the world to keep an eye on India’s irresponsible behaviour. It is also worth noting that on March 1, a Kalvari class Indian submarine was detected by the Pakistan Navy, and it thwarted the Indian attempt to enter Pakistani waters. This is the fourth detection of its kind in the last five years. The recent incident is not a trivial matter but a matter of serious concern for regional peace if viewed under the long-term lens.
On the other hand, there have been several cases of Uranium theft in India in the recent past, which also indicates India’s ineptitude in safeguarding its nuclear arsenal related material. In recent years, there have been dozens of incidents of uranium theft that took place in India; the most recent incident occurred on June 4, 2021, where seven people were arrested 6.4 kilograms of uranium was seized from their possession.
In conclusion, such loose state control over uranium and missiles shows that India has to go a long way before becoming a responsible nuclear power. These cases are evident indication of how insecure India’s nuclear programme is, which could at any time fall into the hands of terrorists or a group and wreak havoc. At the behest of India, there has been a lot of propaganda around the world about the insecurity of Pakistan’s nuclear material, but there has been no evidence that uranium has been sold in Pakistan or that its nuclear material has fallen into the hands of any terrorist or group.
However, India’s nuclear program does not appear to be safe in any way, which could be dangerous for the entire world, including the region. Global powers, especially the nuclear club, should take immediate and stern notice of India’s irresponsibility and thoroughly examine its command-and-control system for its nuclear programme.
Muhammad Akhter
The writer is a freelance columnist.
He tweets
@MAkhter_.
