ABSTRACT
The history of Pakistan’s nuclear development is a major example of clandestine acquisition of reprocessing and uranium enrichment equipment, technology and material by a Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) party that has bypassed the NPT/International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) regime. Pakistani governments, at least officially, have adopted a positive attitude towards the NPT, IAEA safeguards and the goal of non-proliferation in general, without accepting all the obligations inherent in the present NPT/IAEA regime. Pakistani nuclear activities have acquired considerable internal prestige and attention has been diverted from political power struggles to external security concerns, which include nuclear matters. Pakistan’s nuclear decision-making elite includes political leaders, civil servants, scientists and military officers. In sum, the changing conditions put forward by Pakistan for joining the NPT reflect a motivation to keep the Pakistani nuclear weapon option open.
