Pakistan’s Nuclear Bomb: A Story of Defiance, Deterrence and Deviance

The mysterious story of Pakistan’s attempt to develop nuclear weapons in the face of severe odds

In this inside view of Pakistan’s nuclear programme, Hassan Abbas profiles the politicians and scientists involved in the development of the country’s nuclear bomb, and the role of China and Saudi Arabia in supporting its nuclear infrastructure. Drawing on extensive interviews, the book also examines Pakistani nuclear physicist A.Q. Khan’s involvement in nuclear proliferation in Iran, Libya and North Korea, and argues that the origins and evolution of the Khan network were tied to the domestic and international political motivations underlying Pakistan’s nuclear weapons project, and that project’s organization, oversight and management. This insightful study lays bare, for the first time, the connection between the making of the Pakistani bomb and the proliferation that ensued, establishing important guidelines for nuclear security in the future.

Finally, the book examines the prospects for nuclear safety in Pakistan in the light of the country’s nuclear control infrastructure and the threat posed by the Taliban and other extremist groups to the country’s nuclear assets.

About the Author

HASSAN ABBAS is professor and chair of the department of regional and analytical studies at National Defense University, Washington, DC.