OP-ED: Understanding Imran Khan's Nuclear Policy

Strength Through Justice, Not Arms

In recent discussions, much has been misunderstood and at times deliberately misrepresented about Imran Khan's views on Pakistan's nuclear arsenal. His statements, concerning Pakistan's security posture in South Asia, have been twisted into the false claim that he advocated for unilateral disarmament. A careful reading of Khan's philosophy, however, reveals something far deeper and far more urgent for Pakistan's future: the idea that true national strength lies in justice, fairness, and principled leadership, not merely in military hardware.

In addressing Pakistan's nuclear deterrent, Imran Khan emphasized a crucial nuance: the existence of nuclear weapons was a symptom of regional unfairness, the ongoing occupation and conflict in Kashmir. He never called for Pakistan to dismantle its nuclear shield. He pointed out that these weapons remain necessary because injustices persist, especially the unresolved Kashmir dispute and the power asymmetries entrenched in South Asia.

Khan's core argument was moral as much as strategic. He believed that the highest form of strength for a nation is not found in its weapons stockpile but in its ability to pursue justice even when others do not. If fairness were genuinely pursued in the region, if the Kashmir issue were resolved equitably, if smaller nations were treated with dignity by larger powers, then Pakistan could afford to pivot away from a purely militarized posture. It could become an example for the world: a country whose pride and security derive from its moral standing rather than the size of its arsenal.

Unfortunately, critics, many aligned with status-quo interests, have reduced Khan's nuanced position to a simplistic, inaccurate narrative. They claim he advocated weakening Pakistan. In truth, Khan envisioned a stronger Pakistan, one anchored in fairness, accountability, and regional respect. In his worldview, nuclear weapons were a necessary evil given the current imbalance, not a prize to be celebrated or expanded without end.

This philosophy fits into a broader strand of thought Khan articulated: that Pakistani nationalism should not become a narrow, aggressive force, but should instead be elevated, "deweaponized," through Islamic values of justice, dignity, and responsibility. True leadership, he argued, was not about posturing for strength but about embodying it through righteousness.

In the final viewpoint, Imran Khan's nuclear policy was not about disarmament. It was about redefining what power means. In a just world, Pakistan's strength would be proven not by the missiles in its silos but by the principles it upholds. Until that world materializes, deterrence remains necessary, but it should never be mistaken for the ultimate goal. For Khan, the battlefield was always moral, not military.