Pakistan is “ready” to use tactical devices against India, if it feels its safety is threatened. In a recent interview with a Pakistani TV channel SAMAA, Pakistani defence minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said that they won’t hesitate to annihilate India by these tactical weapons- a reference to nuclear weapons that Pakistan is believed to posses.
He was quoted as saying (TOI), “Tactical weapons joh hain, joh hamne yeh progammes develop kiya hua hai, yeh apne hifazat ke liye develop kiya hua hai. Hamne devices jo hain just as showpieces toh nahin rakhe hue. Lekin agar hamare salamati ko khatra hua, toh hum nestanabhut kar denge unko (Tactical weapons and our programmes have developed for our protection. They are not showpieces and if our safety is threatened, we will annihilate them (India),” in the interview, telecast on September 26. He had made a similar comment on Geo TV on September 17, a day before the terrorist attack in Uri.
This firing of fresh salvo comes after Indian Army’s brigade headquarters in Uri, Jammu & Kashmir, was attacked by terrorists on September 18, resulting in the deaths of 18 soldiers. The four attackers were also killed. Since then India has maintained that the attacks were mediated from Paksiatn and has also handed over evidence to Pakistani high commissioner Abdul Basit that the terrorists were from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Asif also said that, “I don’t think there is any such threat but as Allah has said in the Quran, `The horses must be prepared’, so we should always be completely prepared. There is also a famous English proverb, ‘The price of freedom is eternal vigilance’… We are always pressurised (sic) time and again… that we have more tactical weapons than we need. It is internationally recognised that we have a superiority , and if there is a threat to our security, or if anyone steps on our soil and if someone’s designs are a threat to our security , we will not hesitate to use those weapons for our defence.”
Asked if Pakistan could use atomic weapons in case of a war with India, he had replied, “This depends on the situation…but if our defence and survival is (sic) in danger, then we should use everything. What is there to fear?”
