Dear Members and Friends,
Yesterday Pakistan launched and tested its Hatf-4 Shaheen-1A ballistic missile into the Indian Ocean. This Pakistan missile is a next generation intermediate range ballistic missile capable of delivering one of Pakistan’s estimated 100 plus nuclear warheads to targets in parts of India. The technology of putting nuclear weapons on ballistic missiles is desperately wanted by North Korea and Iran. Pakistan’s history has shown that its technologies in nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles have been transferred and proliferated across their borders.
Pakistan’s launch could be viewed internationally as a response to India’s long range ballistic missile test last week in the same context to deterring their most formidable threats. Whether that perception is true or not, this demonstrated capability for public consumption and of global reality is and remains the modern day barter and weapon for power projection against stronger nations that are viewed as threats.
We as a nation and a world have to do everything we can to prevent proliferation, but we also as a nation and a world have to do everything we can to defend and protect should our efforts to prevent proliferation fail.
