A recent Congressional Research Service report in the United States about Pakistan's nuclear weapons assured Washington and the world that Pakistan has made 'qualitative and quantitative' amelioration in its nuclear arsenal. The measure has been positively seen as Pakistan's attempt to bring international confidence in its n-weapons' security. Pakistan is believed to have around 90-110 nuclear warheads, but there is no definitive count of that number.

Although there is no designated nuclear doctrine of Pakistan, but it has constantly emphasized upon its intention of minimum credible deterrent policy to keep in check India's military advances toward it. Thus, Pakistan's nuclear warheads will only be put to use if there is any fomentation from its eastern side. However, other than impelled by India, Pakistan has given itself flexibility to use its nukes in other untoward circumstances too.

With an ongoing War on Terror on its borders and within its territory, Pakistan has taken additional security measures to meet the high risks. Pakistan's nuclear scientist, AQ Khan was charged with operating a network of nuclear proliferation in 2004, after which Pakistan increased its nuclear security by strengthening export control laws, improved personnel security, and also joined other international nuclear security cooperation programmes. The only threatening scenario in which Pakistan's nukes could get leaked into wrong hands would be under a drastic political change caused by radical groups.

The arms race that continues between both India and Pakistan has made South Asia a region of insecure military outlook. The exchange of weapons' lists is done annually between the two neigbours. To strengthen the region of any military instability that might instigate aggression, the intelligence chiefs of both the countries also meet from time to time. Another of such meetings between the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) is expected to be held soon to abate the lack of trust between these nuclear-armed nations, but this time insisted upon by the U.S. What exactly would be the terms of these meetings will not be openly discussed.

It is of utmost importance for Pakistan military that while an important operation in North Waziristan is being carried out, it feels insured of no action on its eastern border with India. To grow political relations between the two giants of South Asia, a visit from the Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to Pakistan is also expected later this year. To India's own credit, Pakistan has been not engaged in any serious military tension with it while involved in military action against terrorists. But the tragic incident of the Mumbai attacks in November 2008 had developed grave tone between the two intelligence agencies despite the ISI openness to cooperation on the matter.

Such entangled and yet significant matters of security and intelligence between Pakistan and India as well as Pakistan and the U.S. must be dealt with precaution and wisely. Between speculations on part of security measures and intelligence cooperation, or lack thereof, are factors which can initiate mistrust and lead to unwanted and even unnecessary military aggression. Recently, the militaries of both the countries have shared views on creating a mechanism of direct contact like a hotline between their navies to deter offensive in the high seas. Thus many such confidence building measures have to be taken between Pakistan and India to grow not only political and militarily, but also for social and economic purposes.