Released by Sarah Siddiqui

We the Chairpersons of Pakistan-India Peoples Forum for Peace and Democracy [Pakistan Chapter], Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and Pakistan Peace Coalition (PPC) regret Pakistan's refusal to sign CTBT and urge upon the people and government of this country to get out of the cold war thinking that involves unending arms races of all kinds. We should instead evolve constructive ideas for improving the living conditions of the impoverished people and their sense of security. Pursuit of national security through military means alone without reference to the economic, social and political empowerment of the people is a mirage that results in an utter waste of scarce resources.

Irrespective of India's stand, Pakistan must opt out of nuclear weapons and missiles race and freeze forthwith the development, manufacture and deployment of all nuclear weapons and their delivery vehicles. Instead Islamabad should immediately sign CTBT, cooperate in writing FMCT in good faith and accede to NPT without reservations. Hypocrisy and double standards of P5 and Israel or India in keeping big nuclear arsenals and preaching abstinence to others obviously need no gainsaying. But these are a matter to be pursued separately and effectively. They certainly should not be made an excuse for one's own proliferation. Once Pakistan acts the way South Africa has done on this matter, it will enable Pakistan to stand on high moral ground and its demands will find greater resonance.

As for its impact on Pakistanis’ security, it can only be positive. They will be joining the rest of humanity, except P5 plus Israel and India, and shall be no better and no worse. Militarily, there will still be conventional weapons and the position will again become what it was prior to May 1998. The only difference will be that the moral stock of Pakistan will be high. Threatening it militarily will not be easy for anyone. Pakistan could confidently turn to more intensive efforts for faster economic, social and political improvement. That should make us far more secure.

That nuclear weapons do not make Pakistan secure was confirmed by its withdrawal from Kargil outposts virtually on Indian terms because India refused to be deterred by our Bomb. Similarly India's Pokhran tests did not prevent the Kargil operation. The fact is both India and Pakistan are less secure today than they were before May 1998.

Opting out of all nuclear and missile races has become inescapable because Kashmir and other disputes are sure to lead to continuously escalating arms races of all kinds. It is unrealistic for Islamabad to seek a deterrent to India’s expanding arsenals that can also remain minimal in size or cost because the instinct to rush into a tit for each Indian tat will lead nowhere and during the journey the people will lose all hope of improving their economic and social conditions.

It is necessary to define security clearly. Whose security is desired? Is it for the sake of the elite that has so misgoverned Pakistan as to have made it bankrupt and politically divided? The people seem despaired of good governance while the US feels no hesitation in delivering homilies to the government and the Army to behave. This pitiable state is due to nonstop confirmation, cold war, arms race, wars or high tensions with India over Kashmir, conceived as a territorial dispute to be resolved through military means. Obviously Islamabad undertook takes it couldn't sustain economically. Putting huge new burden of nuclear and missile races will be suicidal. The only practical option left is what good sense and morality anyhow demand.

Released by,
Sarah Siddiqui
Secretary Pakistan Peace Coalition (PPC)