Pakistan’s governance structure, coupled with its absence from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, is raising doubts about its reliability as a nuclear steward, posing risks of leakage and undermining global non-proliferation efforts, especially concerning countries like Iran. The report emphasized that Pakistan’s historical nuclear exports have had destabilizing effects regionally, contributing to proliferation challenges and influencing international agreements like the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear program.
The report detailed how Pakistan’s clandestine nuclear transfers to Iran in the late 1980s and 1990s laid the groundwork for Tehran’s enrichment program, with A Q Khan’s network providing crucial support. This linkage persists today, with Iran surpassing JCPOA uranium stockpile limits. The report highlighted Pakistan’s public support for Iran’s nuclear rights, signaling a strategic alignment that could have destabilizing implications.
Pakistan’s internal instability, marked by political upheavals, coups, and economic weaknesses, makes it a weak link in global non-proliferation efforts. The report pointed out that this instability, combined with Pakistan’s non-NPT status, increases the risk of nuclear material theft and compromises secure stewardship. Pakistan’s ambiguity weakens NPT enforcement globally and supports Iran’s violations, potentially legitimizing nuclear expertise outsourcing by other states.
The report also noted that Pakistan’s governance challenges and non-NPT status make it unreliable as a nuclear custodian, prone to leakage under pressure and dismissive of international safeguards. This situation perpetuates proliferation risks, particularly to states like Iran. The report highlighted how Pakistan’s actions echo past deceptions, with Iran’s behavior mirroring Pakistan’s opacity, and emphasized the economic and strategic motivations behind their nuclear activities.
