Islamabad, 23 April 2025(Kamran Raja): The emergence of multi-domain deterrence, a concept previously absent from strategic calculations, presents a new and complex challenge to the existing global security architecture, said former Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, GeneralZubair Mahmood Hayat. He was speaking on the second day of a two-day international conference on “Nuclear Deterrence in the Age of Emerging Technologies” organized by the Center for International Strategic Studies (CISS), Islamabad.
The event brought together esteemed speakers from Australia, Canada, China, Russia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States of America (USA) on a dialogue surrounding emerging technologies in Islamabad. The second day of the conference drew scholars, notable statesmen, think tank professionals, academics, foreign policy experts, and diplomats. The organizing think tank,CISS, brought together 16 foreign speakers to discuss this important subject.
The speakers for the second day included Dr Laetitia Cesarifrom the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research(UNIDIR) (online), Ms Almudena Azcárate Ortega from UNIDIR, Dr Christine M Leah from the National Institute for Deterrence Studies (Australia), Dr Olamide Samuel from Open Nuclear Network (Austria), Dr Jessica West from Project Ploughshare (Canada), Mr HE Miao from China Arms Control and Disarmament Association CACDA (China), Brigadier (Retd.) Dr Zahir Kazmi – Advisor, Strategic Plans Division,Pakistan, Dr Rizwana Abbasi from CISS (Islamabad), Prof. Dr Zafar Nawaz Jaspal from Quaid-e-Azam University(Islamabad), Prof. Dr Andrey Pavlov from Saint Petersburg State University (Russia), and Mr Vladislav Chernavskikh from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
While delivering the keynote address, former CJCSC highlighted that it is an alarming truth that India is the only nuclear-armed state governed by an extremist ideology whose strategic behavior is unfolding across three dimensions – ideological, political and technological. The BJP, political wing of RSS, promotes forced Hindu nationalism. Yet, the world chooses silence. Why? Because India is a large country, and the West’s focus is fixated on containing China. These are thedouble standards, and they are dangerous for global peace and stability.
The General emphasized that India today possesses the fastest-growing nuclear program in the world and has remained the largest arms importer for over a decade. India’s missile development program is increasingly signaling its military ambitions.
Former CJCSC also stated that “India is no longer “India,” it is now “Bharat” and this is not just a name change – it is a signal. When the Indian Prime Minister attends international forums and sits behind a nameplate that reads “Bharat,” it reflects a deeper ideological shift from secular liberal democracy of Indiato a Hindu Rashtra.
The conference also highlighted Pakistan’s commitment to continued dialogue and collaboration in addressing the challenges posed by emerging technologies to international security and regional stability.