After the Smiling Budha

In 1980, reports were going on that Pakistan acquired nuclear capability. The United Nations General Assembly, launched a Special Session on...

In 1980, reports were going on that Pakistan acquired nuclear capability. The United Nations General Assembly, launched a Special Session on Disarmament (SSOD) in order to achieve global disarmament The first SSOD meet happened in 1978 and reaffirmed the need for disarmament. At the end of fi SSOD, the General Assembly established a Disarmament Commission comprising all UN members second SSOD happened in 1982 but failed to establish consensus despite an urgent need for disarmament The third SSOD in 1988 also failed to establish a consensus.

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, head of state of Pakistan, acquired Saudi Arabian financing for nuclear weapon. The most important reason for Pakistan's going nuclear was India's already having done so.Pakistan perceived its nuclear capability as a bargaining chip in the Kashmir in future. Indira Gandhi in the Parliament accepted Pakistan's right to go nuclear but maintained that India had an edge on all aspects' over India had four options at that time:

1.Do covert operation and blow up Pakistani reactors

2.Strengthen cooperation with the USSR to contain Pakistan

3.Put pressure on Pakistan through international community to halt its ambition.

4.India produces own weapon

Indira Gandhi adopted a wait and watch policy. Though reports do suggest that she planned to test nuclear weapon in 1982, when the US satellites captured images of the nuclear test preparations by India, the idea was immediately dropped.

 In 1983, India launched the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) to establish five guided missiles (Nag, Trishul, Akash, Prithvi and agni), After India tested Prithvi. In 1988 the MTCR was established.