IN PEACE LIES OUR SECURITY

Col (Retd) I HASSAN makes a passionate appeal
for peace to enhance our security needs

Pakistan could have had its cake and eaten it too had the power that be-decided not to detonate the big bang. In so doing they neither have the cake nor can they eat it.

By detonating what Australian seismologists reckoning states as does the Russian one that there was one explosion of equivalent of 4.5 kiloton as measured on the Richter scale. This is also being stated by CIA & Washington. In carrying out this explosion certain facts have been laid bare. Pakistan exploded a uranium based device whilst India exploded all of its devices based on plutonium. Further, whilst India exploded a hydrogen bomb, Pakistan did not, which is an admission that Pakistan does not have a thermo-nuclear device. Instead of baring this fact, if nothing had been exploded, India could have been left guessing with what Pakistan had, and that would have been a greater deterrent than the present lack of a hydrogen bomb. Further whilst India having detonated a uranium bomb in 1974, needed to test out its plutonium based bomb,

Pakistan had no need to detonate its uranium based bomb because the whole world knows that it is not necessary to test out a uranium based bomb. The technology is well known and these bombs have been tested out. After all, the bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima had not been pre-tested and yet it worked and wrecked havoc on Japan, so much so that an extremely brave and indomitable fighting nation immediately sued for peace.

If, therefore, all that Pakistan had was a uranium bomb, it would have been better to let India be extremely apprehensive. It would have resulted in Pakistan being able to get economic advantages, prevail upon the world community to lend Pakistan every manner of aid and assistance. Instead out of sheer bravado, Pakistan went and blew the advantage without gaining anything and losing almost everything. Obviously, there had not been proper thinking through the whole matter particularly the economic consequences. If evidence is required that the matter had not been deliberated properly, consider the recent statement by the country's foreign minister, Gohar Ayub Khan that if there was a war with India, the latter would surrender in 5 minutes ! Does this need any comment at all?

India is already deploying Prithvi missiles along our border. Every part of Pakistan is within range of this missile. There is a further report that India has about 165 nuclear warheads. With no command and control on Pakistani side, India could be extremely apprehensive that because Pakistan does not have that sizable bag of nuclear devices and would be inclined to lob the few that it has across to spread terror, India could drop just three thermo-nuclear bombs on Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad and that could put complete paid to Pakistan as a functioning entity. Millions would die instantly, millions would be maimed and million more would embrace a lingering death. All water resources would become radio-active and, therefore, unusable. All food sources would be similarly affected and therefore inedible. Brave warriors such as Gauhar Ayub Khan, like this writer, will not be there to issue stirring statements.

The days of bared swords, brandishing them and going into battle are long over and yet our leaders continue to use this terminology of the 7th Century, bringing into play the imagery of the battle of Badar when wallows come to the aid of the faithful. Today a little girl can vanquish a whole nation by just pressing the nuclear button and the brave will not get a chance to unsheath their sword.

If a reader has doubt about this writer's antecedents, then let it be revealed that this writer fought against the Japanese in World War II and, therefore, knows what war is - he would not want war or devastation under any circumstances but more so a nuclear holocaust, however brought or whoever pressed the button and whoever was responsible is immaterial because both will be dead and everything will be destroyed.

Just as the Prime Minister after having announced the decision to build Kalabagh Dam, back tracked, he can now with grace, having shown his prowess not only announce a moratorium on further tests but a halt on weaponisation. Further he should offer to sign the non-proliferation treaty and open the country to inspection under the terms of that treaty. Along with that, instead of beating the chest, the foreign policy threat of the country's strength should be to obtain support of the five permanent members of the Security Council that in the event of Pakistan having signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty, should India commit aggression against Pakistan, all of them or as many as can be enjoined to do so would come to Pakistan's aid, China, who recently had become less friendly to Pakistan than it was hereto-fore, now seeing India brandishing nukes at her could be persuaded to come to a formal alliance. This is the route to peace and not nukes-rattling. With a nuclear war we shall have no country and nothing but abiding horror. Peace is most prized and essential. That is what the PM should strive for.