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QUETTA, May 27 (APP):The Balochistan Think Tank Network (BTTN), Quetta, held a webinar on Tuesday to commemorate Youm-e-Takbeer, marking the anniversary of Pakistan’s nuclear tests in 1998.
The event titled “Pakistan’s Pursuit of Credible Deterrence and Sustainable Development” brought together senior national security experts, academics, and nuclear energy professionals to reflect on Pakistan’s nuclear posture and its peaceful technological advancements.
The event opened with welcome remarks by Ms. Pairman Bazai, Research Officer, who emphasized the significance of Youm-e-Takbeer in Pakistan’s security history and its evolving national narrative.
Dr. Zahir Kazmi, Arms Control Advisor at the Strategic Plans Division, delivered an in-depth strategic analysis titled “Evolving Security Dynamics of South Asia – Challenges and Imperatives of Strategic Stability.”
He highlighted the dangerous pattern of pretext-based escalation in the region and emphasized the need for crisis stability through doctrinal clarity and strategic restraint.
Referring to the recent regional crisis, Dr. Kazmi noted,“We did not retaliate—we responded and response implies proportionality, legality, and clarity of objective. This is the essence of Quid Pro Quo Plus (QPQ+), not improvisation but institutional strategy,” he said.
He further underscored the centrality of Kashmir in South Asia’s strategic instability and called for renewed international attention on its just resolution.
Dr. Kazmi stressed that, “Strategic stability cannot be managed around Kashmir—it must be built through its resolution.”
Dr. Ansar Parvez, former Chairman of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission and current Advisor on Nuclear Power to the National Command Authority, focused his address on Pakistan’s Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Technology for Sustainable Development.
He outlined Pakistan’s contributions toward achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in energy, health, agriculture, and water resource management.
“Our nuclear power plants not only generate clean, affordable electricity but also contribute significantly to Pakistan’s development needs,” said Dr. Parvez. “With six nuclear power plants in operation and more planned, Pakistan is aiming to generate 40,000 MW from nuclear energy by 2050.”
The webinar also included insightful presentations by Malik Qasim Mustafa (ISSI), focusing on external pressures on Pakistan’s missile program and the broader geopolitical shifts affecting South Asia’s stability.
Dr. Zafar Khan, Executive Director of BTTN, concluded the session by reaffirming the think tank’s commitment to fostering informed dialogue on issues of national importance.
He praised Pakistan’s dual achievement in ensuring deterrence credibility while contributing to peaceful global norms through nuclear energy.
The webinar was attended by scholars, policy analysts, students, and members of the strategic community from across the country.