As India and Pakistan work to bridge the “trust deficit” that exists between them, India has once again voiced concern about the safety of Pakistan’s nuclear programme and materials. The concern has been expressed as the Prime Ministers of the two nations prepare to participate in the second Nuclear Security Summit which kicks off in the south Korean capital on Monday.
There is also much anticipation that the two leaders, Indian PM Manmohan Singh and Pakistan PM Yousaf Raza Gilani will be meeting on the sidelines of the two-day summit. However, Indian officials here remained tight-lipped on Saturday about a possible meeting between the two leaders of the sub-continent.
Mr Singh arrived here on Saturday for a bilateral visit as well as to participate in the summit which will see an array of world leaders including US president Barack Obama converging here. They will be discussing, among other things, the crucial issue of the steps that can be taken to protect nuclear materials and facilities across the world from terror groups.
Pakistan is said to have among the world’s fastest growing nuclear arsenals. As per an estimate by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, this number could be anywhere between 150-200 nuclear warheads in a decade. India’s fears on the safety and security of its nuke programme and materials, therefore appear legitimate amidst concerns that these could fall into the hands of militant groups such as the Al Qaeda. This fissile material, in the hands of terrorists, can be used to manufacture dirty bombs, fears India.
As Pakistan’s nuke wherewithal grows, sources admitted that its security “is a big worry for us”. However, there appears to be an even more pressing concern for India. As sources noted, the real problem is the “insider threat” wherein nuke materials which may be in someone’s legitimate possession are then used for illegitimate purposes. In this regard, the example of Pak nuke scientist A.Q. Khan is often cited by experts wherein sensitive nuclear technology was allowed to proliferate in several other countries.
As for the security of India’s own nuclear materials, sources said that it was under “tight security” and “very, very secure”. They added for good measure that “the best security would come from a nuclear weapons free world, Importantly, there are no binding standards for countries to adhere to for securing their fissile materials or weapons.
While individual countries are not, as a norm, discussed at the nuke summit, the shadow of both Iran and North Korea are looming large over the summit which will see leaders from 57 nations putting their heads together on March 26 and 27. Neither country figres in the formal agenda or is participating in the summit.
The North Koreans had been extended an invite to participate by the host country. North Korea, however, responded by saying that the multilateral summit is “shameless sophism” on the part of South Korea and the US.
Regarding Iran, under watch by the world community as it proceeds with its uranium enrichment activities, sources noted that regardless of who is spoken to, nobody as yet had said that it has decided to make a nuclear weapon.