Ex-Envoy Gives Reality Check On Pakistan's Nuclear Power: ‘Forget Madrasas, 1 In 3 Kids There...'
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In the video, Hussain Haqqani pointed out his country's priorities by highlighting the disconnect between its military ambitions and the needs of its people.
An old interview of Pakistan's former ambassador to the US, Hussain Haqqani, has resurfaced online. The clip, from a 2013 discussion, is drawing attention at a time when Pakistan is grappling with economic instability and internal challenges. In the video, Haqqani, a longtime critic of Pakistan's strategic doctrine, pointed out his country's priorities by highlighting the disconnect between its military ambitions and the needs of its people.
'Half the population of Pakistan is below the age of 21. One-third of (Pakistan's) young population… never see the inside of any school — forget about madrasas, religious schools, any school," he said. 'Another one-third lives below the poverty line and another one lives just above it, and yet the country has nuclear weapons," he added.
Haqqani's comments come back into focus amid growing tensions between India and Pakistan. A recent terrorist attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 26 tourists, has strained India-Pakistan relations once again. In response, India has reviewed some of its diplomatic commitments including placing the Indus Waters Treaty under suspension. This move has serious implications as Pakistan depends heavily on the Indus River system for its water needs. With the treaty now on hold, India technically has the power to control the flow of water from six rivers.
In the interview, Haqqani didn't deny the efficiency of the country's nuclear programme. But he raised a crucial question — what good is it if citizens remain poor, uneducated and insecure? 'We are now like the guy who keeps buying guns to try and protect himself and then says, 'Oh gosh, I can't sleep because I'm afraid somebody will steal my guns,'" he mentioned.
Haqqani further argued that the real threat was not external. 'The real threat to Pakistan essentially is from a failure to come to terms with its geography, with its history, and with having a direction for it as a nation," he added.
The former ambassador called for a change in Pakistan's direction similar to what former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto had hoped for. 'We will keep the nukes, but we will eventually sign up with some kind of international agreement… We are not going to live as an insecure nation," he said, quoting Bhutto's vision.
Hussain Haqqani, Pakistan former Ambassador to United States, very well answers why Pakistan is such a failed state."One third of Pakistan's children will never go to school. One third of Pakistan lives below the poverty line…."All due to Pak Military. #FailedStatePakistan pic.twitter.com/HkALwuoDYE — Rashtriya Rifles (@DeltaRR2000) May 27, 2025
India not only took strong diplomatic steps after the terrorist attack in Pahalgam but also responded with military action called Operation Sindoor. Last month, the Indian armed forces launched precision strikes last month targeting nine terrorist camps located in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). These strikes were aimed at camps linked to three major terror groups — Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Hizbul Mujahideen.
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