Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif chaired the 22nd National Command Authority (NCA) meeting on February 24 to discuss regional and international developments in conventional as well as strategic weapons and their implications for national as well as regional security and stability. The NCA is essentially responsible for the command and control of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program and everything it encompasses, including policy formulation.

This meeting was critical due to the fact that India has now become the world’s largest arms importer taking in fifteen percent of all global arms imports in the last five years. That is more than three times as much as China—so for every one weapon China has imported, India has imported three!

The development of INS Arihant, the indigenously built Indian nuclear powered submarine, capable of carrying nuclear weapons also means that the Indians have completed the last leg of their nuclear triad—a huge cause of concern for all but in particular Pakistan. A nuclear triad consists of three components, which include strategic bombers, intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), and submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs). India has a variety of aircrafts that they could use to carry out a nuclear strike. They also have a number of missiles that can carry nuclear weapons to targets ranging from 150 km to 12,000 km away; this puts all of Europe and North America within their reach.

Folks in Washington DC have let their commercial and strategic interests blind them to the dangers India poses to the regional and global security environment. The American commercial interests are quite clear, they are the number one exporter of arms and being in the arms business with India, the world’s number one importer of arms makes sound financial sense. The strategic interests have to do with America’s dubious plan to contain China by making India a military ally. But the fact is that this current course will destabilize South Asia, which is not good for anyone, especially the United States because of the heavy economic investments they have in this region.

I am in no way arguing against America’s trade or defense deals with India—only saying that they should be mindful of the regional security implications. If the Americans make the Indians an offer or grant them an exception they should do the same for Pakistanis in the interest of preserving peace and ensuring continued regional stability.

The fast growing military developments in India have intensified the existing Pakistani security dilemma, compelling Pakistan to make appropriate improvements to its conventional and strategic capabilities to achieve and keep a military balance. I must reiterate that Pakistan seeks balance, not parity with India—there is no arms race as far as Pakistan is concerned. Regrettably though, analysts and pundits in American think tanks mostly focus on Pakistani reactions and not Indian provocations, by almost always wrongfully labeling Pakistan as the belligerent party engaged in an arms race with their nuclear-armed neighbor, which is a dishonest assessment.

India envisioned keeping Pakistan under threat of rapid military action when they formulated their Cold Start Doctrine, Pakistan responded with Nasr, a short-range battled field ready nuclear weapon. And when India thought they could threaten Pakistan by building military bases on the Nicobar and Andaman islands, Pakistan developed the Shaheen-III missile so it could bring those bases within their sights.

As India moves the ends of the threat spectrum, Pakistan covers the spectrum of change by minimal but credible means, which is why it recently declared to adhere to the principle of maintaining full spectrum deterrence—successfully maintaining a nuclear deterrent has been an important factor of stability in the region and therefore necessary.

The credit for Pakistan’s ability to quickly respond to and neutralize new threats posed by India goes to the tireless efforts of their scientists and engineers. Without these thousands of unsung heroes there are is no doubt in my mind that the country would be at India’s mercy, unable to defend itself or guarantee its liberty.

Pakistan is a responsible nuclear weapons state and understands that a reliable command and control system is quintessential for credibility and effectiveness of deterrence. Pakistan has dozens of thousands of men and women working around the clock, committed to the safety and security of their nuclear assets.

Pakistan seeks peace and conflict resolution instead of crisis management. This point has been made over and over again by the leadership of the country, and their actions have proven it.