Balance of Power

Why is atomic power portrayed to be all that is rooted to be evil in the world? Various international efforts have been working for the abolition of nuclear bombs for the last couple of decades, their cause is correct. To safe guard human rights and human lives but there is a lot more to the atomic game then actually physically using it. 

When we completely shut out our minds and merely look at history, the first thing that comes to mind in world war and Japan. And then we remember the horrific events at Nagasaki and Hiroshima where the death toll rate was in hundreds and thousands from direct killings and radiation. But for a country like Pakistan we need nuclear power.

Well, let’s look at it this way, a developing nation like ours with the strategic geographical placement that it has in Asia; our neighbors are not exactly our best friends. Then there is the current war on terror, the USA wants our head on a platter for their own agenda. So when I say we need nuclear power I mean to say that we need them as a deterrent and nothing more. Nuclear is a brutal form of war, thus before someone decides to launch a missile they’ll think twice.  

The world hegemony, i.e. The USA constantly banters at the countries that are non-signatory with the non-proliferation treaty; funnily enough they are the only ones in history that have used it in the last century killing thousands of civilians. Currently, the USA has a problem with Iran and North Korea and whether they have nuclear or not, while ironically on the side at the same time Israel continues to be a non-signatory and keeps building nuclear without having anyone to answer too.

So we should ask ourselves is it really a bad thing to protect our country in a world where there is no understanding of sovereignty and statehood. Just look at what happened to Iraq and Afghanistan; they didn’t have the right defense mechanism to ward off intruders.  Whereas Pakistan maintain that balance of power through the nuclear program.

Nuclear power is also multipurpose, it is not only a strategic military tool but it is a great way to produce heat and electricity which Pakistan really needs. Thus any further R&D in atomic power can only be good for us.

-Minahil Rana