Nuclear race can imperil strategic stability:US report

A congressional report sent to United States lawmakers has warned that continued Indian and Pakistani nuclear weapons development could jeopardise strategic stability between the two countries.

The Congressional Research Service (CRS), which prepared the report, notes that Pakistan's nuclear arsenal is 'designed to dissuade India from taking military action against the country'.

The report notes that both India and Pakistan 'continues to expand its nuclear arsenal' but since the report is about Pakistan, it focuses on the Pakistani nuclear programme,reports Dawn.

The report claimed that Pakistan has approximately 110-130 nuclear warheads.

Pakistan's adoption of a doctrine called 'full spectrum deterrence' has led some observers to express concern about an increased risk of nuclear conflict between Pakistan and India.

Pakistan however has strengthened export control laws, improved personnel security, and international nuclear security cooperation programmes but CRS warns that 'instability' in Pakistan has 'called the extent and durability of these reforms into question'.