Imran Khan Says Pakistan Will Not Use Nuclear Weapons First Amid Tensions With India

Amid tensions with India, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said his county will not use nuclear weapons first, according to news agency Reuters. “We both are nuclear-armed countries. If these tensions increase, the world could be in danger,” Khan said addressing members of the Sikh religious community in eastern city of Lahore. “There will be no first from our side ever,” Reuters quoted Khan as saying.

Khan said war is not a solution to any problem. "I want to tell India that war is not a solution to any problem. The winner in war is also a loser. War gives birth to host of other issues," he said.

Recalling his previous telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Khan said, "I told him that there are similar circumstances both in Pakistan and India. I told him about the climate change. We are sitting on a ticking bomb. If we do not address this issue (climate change) there will be scarcity of water (in both countries). I told him that we together can solve the Kashmir dispute through dialogue."

Expressing his frustration over "no response" from India for his efforts to talk to Pakistan, Khan said: "Whatever effort I made India was acting like a super power asking us to do this and not to do that (for talks). It was giving us dictation."

He told the participating Sikhs who had come from different European countries that Pakistan would issue multiple visas to Sikhs so that they could visit their holy places. 

Khan’s latest statement came days after he warned of a nuclear war between India and Pakistan amid the escalation of tensions between the two countries following India's move to abrogate Article 70 of the Constitution that gave a special status to Jammu and Kashmir. He had also blamed the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government for the current situation.

He concluded his speech by saying that if both the countries engage in a war now, there will be widespread devastation as both India and Pakistan are nuclear states. He also urged the international community to intervene in this matter.  

"If this issue worsens to a war situation, then one must remember that both the countries are nuclear states. And no one wins a nuclear war. It is not like destruction will take place here, the repercussions will be felt across the world. Superpowers of the world must also take responsibility of this. Whether the world supports us or not, Pakistan will go to any lengths now. We will be with them (Kashmiris) till the last breath," he said.

Last month, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had said India reserves the right to change its policy of 'No First Use', which has been the cornerstone of India's nuclear weapons policy for decades. The government firmly stands by its 'No First Use' policy but "what happens in future will depend on the circumstances," the minister had said.

India has not been engaging with Pakistan since an attack on the Air Force base at Pathankot in January of 2016 by Pakistan-based terrorists, maintaining that talks and terror cannot go together.

Early this year, tensions flared up between India and Pakistan after a suicide bomber of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) killed 40 CRPF personnel in Kashmir's Pulwama district.

Amid mounting outrage, the Indian Air Force carried out a counter-terror operation, hitting the biggest JeM training camp in Balakot, deep inside Pakistan on February 26.

The next day, Pakistan Air Force retaliated and downed a MiG-21 in an aerial combat and captured Indian pilot, who was handed over to India on March 1.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Imran Khan’s statement came days after he warned of a nuclear war between India and Pakistan amid the escalation of tensions between the two countries over abrogation of Article 70.
• He had also blamed the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government for the current situation.
• He concluded his speech by saying that if both the countries engage in a war now, there will be widespread devastation as both India and Pakistan are nuclear states.