Is Pakistan Next Target?

Or was it first? The recent Israel and US joint attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities has once again confirmed that a nuclear armed Muslim country is unacceptable to the West. In fact, destruction of Iran’s nuclear military potential and termination, or freeze and then rollback of Pakistan’s Nuclear and long range missile programme by ‘carrots and sticks’ policy has never been off the table. Following the dictum, "Never lower your target; increase your actions"; the Western efforts have always been in place for keeping its dominant political, economic and security architecture intact. For that the misuse of “Islamic threat” has been as indispensable for them as water for fish.

Iran: Western estimates of May, 2025 suggested that Iran could produce enough weapons-grade uranium for one nuclear bomb within a week and accumulate enough for seven within a month, raising fears that its breakout time has shortened drastically. The destruction of Israel, nuclear proliferation, nuclear terrorism, and increased support for insurgency are frequently cited as several strategic objectives behind Iran's nuclear ambitions. The US and Iran have engaged in bilateral negotiations since April 2025, aiming to curb Iran's program. On 12 June 2025, the IAEA found Iran non-compliant with its nuclear obligations for the first time in 20 years.  On 13 June 2025, Israel attacked the nuclear plants as part of the June 2025 Israeli strikes on Iran. On 21 June, the US bombed the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, the Natanz Nuclear Facility, and the Isfahan nuclear technology center. The Pentagon has announced that United States military strikes against Iran set back the country’s nuclear programme by one to two years, an assessment that followed President Donald Trump’s tall claims that the programme was “obliterated”.  With quick ceasefire in place now, both the USA and Iran have shown readiness to resume briefly suspended dialogue as Iran remains conscious of fulfilling her long sought-after dreams and America's compulsion to maintain the formidable Iranian threat alive to keep the oil and gas rich Arabs in the fold.

Pakistan: After suffering the greatest humiliation of losing East Pakistan in 1971, the dream of acquiring an Atomic Bomb as an effective deterrence against numerically superior India was considered an unavoidable national security obligation. The struggle by Pakistan to go ahead with this dream is a tale of great dedication and sacrifices by the people of Pakistan, successive governments, military bureaucracy and the concerned metallurgists & nuclear scientists. The 1974 Islamic Summit in Lahore, and Pakistan’s subsequent efforts to pursue Nuclear programme with alleged monetary support from some Muslim countries resulted in unnatural death of former prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, and later President General Zia-Ul-Haq, unceremonious ouster of President Pervaiz Musharraf and contemptuous dismissal of father of Pakistan nuclear programme Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan. Besides, King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, Qaddafi of Libya and Saddam Hussain of Iraq were killed for allegedly pursuing or supporting the nuclear ambitions.

Following India's surprise nuclear test, code named Smiling Buddha in 1974, the goal to develop Pakistan’s nuclear weapon received considerable impetus. Finally, on 28 May 1998, with divine help, a few weeks after India's second nuclear test (Operation Shakti), Pakistan detonated five nuclear devices and became the first Muslim Country with Military Nuclear Capability. However, since 1981 till to date, there have been several overt and covert efforts planned by India, Israel and USA to sabotage Pakistan Nuclear and Missile capabilities including all possible delivery means but in vain; the most recent one was made in May 2025 that turned out to be an ‘Ephemeral Blitz’. According to various sources’ assessment, Pakistan possesses around 100-120 genuine warheads, including or excluding tactical nuclear warheads; with the second strike capability and multiple delivery means. It further strengthens Pakistan’s Credible  Nuclear Deterrence, which proved its efficacy on May 10, 2025 with USA jumping in the ring as WWF referee to save her two limping wrestlers i.e., India & Israel.

There are abundant evidences and analyses in stock by international political and security analysts to prove that maliciously created labels like “Islamic Bomb” and “Islamic Terrorism” have been used since 2001 to annihilate many Muslim countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Libya, Yemen and Syria while using NATO/ ISAF invasions of Afghanistan as an excuse and as a base of operations. Nevertheless, since 2001 till todate, as evidenced by statements by American and Israeli leadership,  taking out Iran’s nuclear potential and undermining Pakistan Nuclear and missile capabilities have remained USA, Israel and NATO’s highest priority, which is unlikely to change.

Who will be targeted first has always been a matter of debate. One wonders whether the India-Israel joint misadventure of May 7, 2025  of attacking Pakistan civil-military targets was an effort to neutralize Pakistan’s Counter Strike capability before hitting Iran a few days later; or was it just a tester to gauge Pakistan’s politico-military response. Nevertheless, Pakistan’s jaw breaking military response made the aggressors to promptly realize the catastrophic outcome for them; besides its global pitfalls. Thus USA was quick to secure a ceasefire between India-Pakistan, and India immediately agreed to it with deep political, military and economic setback. Without capitulation to any sense of complacency, Pakistan’s demonstrated resolve & capacity to thwart aggression from any foe, should have served as a stern warning that the dreams of undermining Pakistan’s Nuclear and Missile capabilities are no more discursive, and in fact will be maintained as “National Survival Kit”, come what may. Needless to say that it also serves as guarantor of regional and international peace and stability.

Thus, one could fairly conclude that Pakistan was higher  on the target  list  and will remain so; though degradation of a budding nuclear capable Iran is considered as an easier option by the haughty aggressors. The failed attempt to destroy Pakistan’s AD system , Air Bases and sensitive Military Installations as well as Iran-Israel-USA meaningfully paused conflict has frustrated the Israeli hawks but  also enabled them to refit and refine their sinister plans. There are a number of examples from the most recent history (Afghanistan,Pakistan,Iraq,Syria,Libya, Palestine/Gaza) including May 10 and 24 June 2025 announced ceasefire, that a semi permanent pause during a conflict is also used as a continuation of War “by other means”. Nevertheless, what stays in place is the will of the belligerents to achieve their respective aims and objectives.

Overall, presently both Pakistan and Iran stand on higher moral grounds with even better national unity, greater morale, and improved regional standing by bravely facing the Indian, Israeli and Western aggression. It is time for the Muslim majority countries to pay heed to the old maxim, “ United we stand, divided we fall” and prove to the Axis of Evil that “Talent hits a target no one else can hit; Genius hits a target no one else can see”. 

‘Criminals usually prey on weakness; They can smell it.’ The uncalled for hostility against Pakistan and Iran was not about supporting Kashmir or Palestine, but about the Nuclear potential of both the Muslim countries. The biggest lesson is that for survival as a respectable nation, in addition to membership of a credible regional political, economic and military alliances like SCO, CSTO, and ECO; the belief in national ideology, wholehearted public support, an honest judiciary, a truly representative resilient political system, a stable economy, and matchless military capabilities are essential ingredients as one package.