Pakistan regards India as ‘existential’ threat, states report by US Defence Intelligence Agency

Pakistan regards India as an existential threat, states the latest World Threat Assessment report released by the US Defence Intelligence Agency on Sunday.  According to the report, “Pakistan regards India as an existential threat and will continue to pursue its military modernisation effort, including the development of battlefield nuclear weapons, to offset India’s conventional military advantage."

The report states Islamabad is modernising its nuclear arsenal with military and economic support from China and continues to view India as an existential threat. The report mentioned that the Pakistan military’s top priorities for the coming year are likely to include cross-border skirmishes with regional neighbours and the continued modernisation of its nuclear arsenal, among other objectives.

“Pakistan is modernising its nuclear arsenal and maintaining the security of its nuclear materials and nuclear command and control. Pakistan almost certainly procures weapons of mass destruction (WMD) applicable goods from foreign suppliers and intermediaries," the report stated.

The report also highlights that Pakistan is obtaining materials and technology for developing WMDs from China, with some of these transfers being routed through countries like Hong Kong, Singapore, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. While China remains Pakistan’s main supplier of military equipment, the relationship has been strained by a series of terrorist attacks targeting Chinese nationals working in Pakistan, emerging as a growing source of tension between the two allies.

World