Pakistan's nuclear deterrent was never born out of ambition. It was born out of necessity. When India, under the pretext of a "peaceful" nuclear programme, carried out its first nuclear test at Pokhran in 1974, Islamabad was left with little choice but to secure its survival in a volatile neighborhood. Ever since, Pakistan has pursued a deterrence strategy that is modest in scope, limited in range, and firmly tethered to the singular threat perception emerging from across its eastern border. Its nuclear doctrine is one of restraint: a last-resort shield, not a sword for force projection.

Yet, much of the international discourse frames Pakistan as the problem and India as the responsible actor. It is not merely misleading, but dangerous. The facts tell another story - that Pakistan has voluntarily placed all its civilian nuclear reactors under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) control, routinely disclosed the results of safety audits to partners, and has command-and-control systems........

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