Islamabad/New Delhi — Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reaffirmed that the country’s nuclear programme is intended strictly for peaceful purposes and national self-defence, drawing a sharp contrast to earlier threatening rhetoric from top Pakistani officials amid escalating tensions with India.
Speaking on Saturday to a group of students, Mr Sharif stated, “Pakistan’s nuclear programme is solely for peaceful purposes and national defence, not for aggression.”
This statement marks a notable shift in tone, especially following Operation Sindoor — a military operation launched by India in May 2025 in response to the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 civilians. Indian intelligence linked the attack to Pakistan-based terror outfits including Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
Contradiction Within Pakistan’s Leadership
Sharif’s remarks come less than two months after Muhammad Khalid Jamali, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Russia, warned publicly of using the “full spectrum of power, including nuclear weapons” in case of any perceived Indian aggression — particularly alleging that India was planning strikes or water diversions targeting Pakistan.
“Any attempt to usurp or divert water would be considered an act of war and met with full power,” Jamali said in a May interview with RT, the Russian state broadcaster.
India Responds with Precision Strikes
India responded to the April attack by launching Operation Sindoor, which reportedly targeted nine terror infrastructure hubs in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Indian officials claimed that over 100 terrorists were eliminated in these “pre-emptive precision strikes.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated India’s unwavering stance on national security, saying on May 13, “India will not tolerate nuclear blackmail while acting against terrorism and its sponsors.”
India’s Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan further underscored that nuclear deterrence cannot be a cover for state-sponsored terrorism, adding that India’s actions in Operation Sindoor demonstrated how conventional force can be effectively used between nuclear powers.
Geopolitical Implications and Chinese Role
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), China remains Pakistan’s largest defence partner, accounting for 63% of Pakistan’s arms imports between 2020 and 2024, amounting to $8.2 billion since 2015.
This heavy military dependence on China, coupled with repeated nuclear threats, has raised concerns globally about regional instability and nuclear brinkmanship in South Asia.
A Calmer Diplomatic Front?
Sharif’s recent statement could be seen as an attempt to lower the temperature on the nuclear narrative and signal restraint to the international community amid growing scrutiny over Pakistan’s crisis messaging.
Observers note that whether this civilian-led messaging marks a genuine policy recalibration or simply a cosmetic shift remains to be seen — especially as India maintains its position of zero tolerance towards cross-border terrorism.
