Few nations have endured a more persistent nuclear double standard than Pakistan. Since the 1970s, it has faced sanctions and stigma, not due to misconduct but because of a bias that treats deterrence as a civilizational right for some and a provocation for others.

Pakistan’s deterrent is India-specific, regionally bounded and rooted in strategic necessity. Yet, recent baseless claims, such as those by former Biden administration officials alleging a Pakistani ICBM, reflect how speculation often replaces analysis. Pakistan’s deterrent is India-specific. As a US Major Non-Nato ally, Pakistan neither seeks nor benefits from extended-range systems.

The Foreign Affairs claim of a Pakistani ICBM is based solely on an anonymous intelligence reference with no test data or technical indicators. Pakistan has neither tested nor signalled intent to pursue intercontinental-range missiles, nor does it possess the infrastructure for such a programme. Earlier narrative cited large rocket motors as evidence of global strike ambitions but these are common to MIRV or precision missile improvements. Even SUPARCO’s civilian space activity has faced unjust scrutiny, showing how Pakistani technological progress and declared policies are consistently misread.

Pakistan’s Full Spectrum Deterrence (FSD) is a calibrated response to India’s Cold Start doctrine and missile defences. It is India-focused, threat-contingent and aimed at preventing conflict escalation rather than projecting power. Systems like Nasr and Ababeel are designed for credibility across escalation levels, not to signal extended-range ambitions. An ICBM pursuit would contradict both doctrine and necessity.

India, by contrast, has tested the Agni-V (8,000 km) and the forthcoming Agni-VI (10,000 ........

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