London, Jan 13 (NationPress) The fragility of Pakistan's governance framework, coupled with its non-signatory status to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), casts significant doubt on its credibility as a nuclear custodian. This situation elevates the risk of nuclear leakage and compromises international non-proliferation safeguards, particularly concerning nations like Iran, as highlighted in a report released on Tuesday.

The report further suggests that Pakistan's regional activities have been destabilizing, with its historical nuclear exports initiating a proliferation chain that has equipped rogue entities and necessitated frameworks such as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to mitigate Iran's nuclear ambitions. This has in turn fueled security apprehensions in Israel and sparked arms races in the Gulf.

“Pakistan's secretive nuclear transactions with Iran during the late 1980s and 1990s established the technological groundwork for Tehran's enrichment endeavors, a connection that remains significant as Iran's 2025 uranium reserves are projected to exceed JCPOA limits by 48 times. The A Q Khan network facilitated the provision of centrifuge designs, components, and expertise, expediting Iran's journey to threshold status while revealing Pakistan's readiness to proliferate for both ideological and economic motives,” detailed a report from the UK-based newspaper 'Asian Lite.'

“Currently, as Iran deploys advanced IR-6 centrifuges at fortified locations like Fordow and restricts IAEA access following Israeli strikes, Pakistan's public endorsement of Tehran's 'peaceful' nuclear rights indicates a continuing strategic alignment with destabilizing implications,” it emphasized.

The report indicates that Pakistan's internal turmoil positions it as the most vulnerable link within the global non-proliferation framework, where persistent political instability, frequent coups, judicial manipulations like the 27th Constitutional Amendment, and economic fragility incentivize elites to exploit nuclear assets for survival and financial gain.

Documentation from US assessments highlights that jihadist incursions into military installations increase the risk of fissile material theft, while vulnerabilities in command-and-control systems amidst civil unrest compromise secure nuclear management. This precarious governance, along with non-NPT status, renders Pakistan an unreliable nuclear steward, susceptible to leakage under duress and dismissive of global safeguards, thereby perpetuating proliferation risks to nations like Iran,” it noted.

The report also observes that Pakistan’s ambiguity undermines the effectiveness of global NPT enforcement as a non-signatory proliferator that is currently endorsing Iran's violations, thus legitimizing the outsourcing of nuclear knowledge by threshold states, according to proliferation analysts.

“Denials of IAEA access echo the post-Khan opacity, with delays in Iran's Arak reactor and undisclosed sites mirroring Pakistan’s previous deceptions. Economically, trade aspirations cloak strategic calculations. Iran seeks markets to circumvent sanctions; Pakistan aims to gain leverage through anti-Western solidarity. However, this alignment heightens escalation risks. Iran’s fortifications at Fordow and its focus on 60 percent enrichment signal a hedge against regime threats, which would be amplified if tacit Pakistani assistance resumes. Israel’s hints at broader nuclear strikes, countered by Pakistan's OIC diplomacy, underscore how Khan’s legacy binds Islamabad to Tehran’s defiance,” the report stated.

IANS