Among the several challenges facing Pakistan today, a belligerent neighbour in the east tops the litany of prevailing concerns, owing both to its publicly declared policies and its Chanakya-inspired, camouflaged maneuvers that merit a much broader term than state terrorism. This reality has been demonstrated once again following a recent policy document by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). The report reveals that India has not only expanded its nuclear warhead inventory from 180 to an estimated 190 within a single year, but to make matters worse for the strategic stability of the South Asian region, New Delhi has also placed around 12 nuclear warheads in an operationally deployed status on the sea leg of its nuclear triad. SIPRI estimates that, as of January 2026, India may have already deployed nuclear warheads on a nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine conducting deterrence patrols. For Pakistan, such a revelation is not surprising per se; since its creation as an independent state in August 1947, the country has been the ultimate victim of Indian-sponsored terrorism alongside a history of failed military adventurism, both overt and covert.
However, for the global community, SIPRI’s revelations expose New Delhi’s double standards. While India officially professes a ‘No First Use’ doctrine regarding its nuclear arsenal, a trigger-happy state with its finger on the nuclear button paints a starkly different picture. In its official response after the report surfaced, Islamabad warned New Delhi against backtracking on its “No First Use” nuclear policy, making it crystal clear that Pakistan would reconsider all options for the appropriate deployment of its nuclear-capable weapons to restore strategic balance while retaining strategic ambiguity. “Pakistan never has and never will accept strategic imbalances to be induced in South Asia,” stated Lt Gen (retd) Khalid Kidwai, Adviser to Pakistan’s National Command Authority (NCA). He further noted that India is shifting towards a more ready, potentially first-use-capable nuclear force able to launch a strike with virtually no warning.
Heralding a potential doomsday scenario, the operationalisation of India’s sea-based nuclear deterrent, despite its ‘No First Use’ façade, effectively violates its own nuclear doctrine while posing a myriad of grave implications for regional stability. Given that both countries fought a brief four-day war in May 2025, which ended with Indian armed forces biting the dust, this ongoing escalation culminating in India’s sea-based nuclear buildup could cause any sudden flare-up to spiral out of control. What is even more concerning is that India’s current political leadership has been hell-bent on using a Hindutva-driven, anti-Pakistan narrative laced with hostile rhetoric towards Muslims from day one for political gains. With pipe dreams of ‘Akhand Bharat’ in sight, the likelihood of nuclear adventurism from New Delhi cannot be ruled out. Nuclear or non-nuclear, Pakistan will have no choice but to deliver a befitting reply if the need arises. However, rational voices must emerge from across the border to force their political and military leadership to exercise caution before it is too late.