What is Pakistan's nuclear weapons capability? Who is in-charge of its nukes?

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Pakistan army chief Asim Munir's threat from the US has put a spotlight on the country's nuclear weapons. It is estimated that Islamabad has an estimated 170 warheads and is quickly developing more with the help of China read more
Pakistan's nuclear-capable missile, Shaheen 1, is driven in Islamabad. The country boasts of several nuclear weapons and spends billions to develop them. File image/Reuters
'We are a nuclear nation, if we think we are going down, we'll take half the world down with us.'
That's what Pakistan army's Field Marshal Asim Munir said on Sunday while speaking at a private dinner being held on American soil. But the army chief didn't stop there; on India's decision to pause the Indus Waters Treaty after the Pahalgam attack, he said, 'We will wait for India to build a dam, and when it does so, phir 10 missile sey faarigh kar dengey [we will destroy it with 10 missiles].'
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While Pakistan has made nuclear threats in the past, what makes these remarks notable is that this is the first time such ultimatums have been issued from US soil against a third country.
Munir issues nuclear threats from US
Visiting the US a second time within a month, Field Marshal Munir at a dinner being hosted by businessman Adnan Asad, who serves as honorary consul for Pakistan in Florida's Tampa, said that Pakistan would respond with nuclear weapons if it faced an existential threat in a future war with India.
He told attendees as per a report in The Print, 'We are a nuclear nation, if we think we are going down, we'll take half the world down with us.'
At a dinner in the US, Pakistan army chief raised the spectre of a nuclear war, stating that Pakistan would respond with nuclear weapons if it faced an existential threat in a future war with India. File image/Reuters
He further threatened to destroy any infrastructure that India builds, which has the potential to disrupt the flow of the Indus river. Munir claimed that New Delhi's decision to place the Indus Waters Treaty into abeyance after the Pahalgam terror attack in April could put 250 million people at risk of starvation.
'We will wait for India to build a dam, and when it does so, phir das missile sey faarigh kar dengey [we will destroy it with 10 missiles]…The Indus River is not the Indians' family property. Humein missilon ki kami nahin hai, al-hamdulillah [we have no shortage of missiles, Praise be to God],' Munir reportedly said.
Munir was in the US to attend the retirement ceremony of outgoing US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander General Michael Kurilla and the Change of Command Ceremony for Admiral Brad Cooper, who took over as CENTCOM head. Munir praised Kurilla's leadership and contribution to US-Pakistan military ties, while wishing Cooper success in tackling shared security issues.
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This visit follows Munir's rare five-day US trip in June, when he attended a private luncheon with President Donald Trump. That meeting led to announcements of increased US-Pakistan cooperation, including an oil deal.
Pakistan's nuclear power
With Munir issuing a nuclear threat, the question on everyone's mind is: how many nukes does Pakistan possess?
According to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri), a leading defence and armaments think tank, Pakistan is a strong nuclear power, having an estimated 170 warheads as per its latest assessment. In comparison, India has 180 nuclear stored warheads as of January 2025.
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, however, noted in 2023 that Islamabad has the potential to increase its nuclear arsenal quickly as it has several new delivery systems in development, four plutonium production reactors, and an expanding uranium enrichment infrastructure.
Pakistan's nuclear-capable air-launched 'Ra'ad' cruise missile seen in Islamabad. Pakistan is a strong nuclear power, having an estimated 170 warheads. File image/Reuters
Christopher Clary, a security affairs expert at the University at Albany in the US, has noted that a bulk of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal lies in its land-based missile forces, though it is developing nuclear triads capable of delivering warheads by land, air and sea
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Moreover, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons wrote in 2023 that Pakistan had spent a whopping $1 billion to develop its nuclear weapons programme.
According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Pakistan's arsenal consists primarily of mobile short- and medium-range ballistic missiles, which have enough of a range to target India. China's significant technical assistance on its nuclear and missile programmes has helped Pakistan in recent years.
For years, Pakistan's possession of nuclear weapons has been a concern for the world over. This is because Islamabad has never formally declared an official nuclear doctrine.
Pakistan's nuclear button
Munir's threat to use nuclear weapons has also raised questions about control of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal.
In Pakistan, nuclear weapon control lies with the top leadership, including the president and the prime minister, with oversight provided by the Nuclear Command and Control System (NCCS). The president and the prime minister make the final decision to use nuclear weapons jointly. The military, responsible for the security and launching of these weapons, has significant involvement in this process.
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Reports state that Pakistan's arsenal is controlled by the National Command Authority (NCA), which is officially chaired by the prime minister. Formed in 2000, it is the nation's highest decision-making authority on nuclear and missile policy issues, and oversees all nuclear and missile programmes. However, the International Institute for Strategic Studies notes that although the makeup of the committee grants substantial authority to the civilian government, 'in practice, the military would probably prevail on nuclear decision-making during wartime or a military crisis.'
However, there have been rumours that the United States has a contingency plan in place. In 2011, NBC News reported that the US has a plan of 'snatch and grab' when it comes to Pakistan's nuclear weapons. According to the news outlet, this would come into effect if and when the US president believed that Pakistan's weapons were a threat to either the country or its interests. Moreover,
According to NBC, such plans were drawn up even before the 9/11 terror attacks in the US. Washington became even more concerned of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal in the aftermath of the Osama bin Laden raid in 2011. US military officials had testified before Congress about the security of Pakistan's nuclear weapons and the threat posed by 'loose nukes' or materials outside the government's control.
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Reacting to the report, former Pakistan military ruler Pervez Musharraf had warned that a snatch-and-grab operation would lead to all-out war between the countries, calling it 'total confrontation by the whole nation against whoever comes in'.
With inputs from agencies