Miniature nuclear warheads are the new gadget that those splendid scientists at the Atomic Energy Commission of Pakistan are cooking up. Wonderful as these may sound, these come at the risk of another escalation with India. With reports that Pakistan was developing ‘tactical’ nuclear warheads persisting over a period of time, the Indian National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) has come out with India’s nuclear policy for the first time. This is: “India will not be the first to use nuclear weapons, but if it is attacked with such weapons, it would engage in nuclear retaliation which will be massive and designed to inflict unacceptable damage on its adversary.” It has said, “The label on a nuclear weapon used for attacking India, strategic or tactical, is irrelevant from the Indian perspective.” The policy has been announced as a veiled threat. Relations between the two neighbours could be said to have improved. The point rather is that a nuclear war between Indian and Pakistan should never be on the cards.

In statements reminiscent of the Cold War era between the US and the Soviet Union, the NSAB convener spoke of the apparent “jihadist edge” to Pakistan’s nuclear weapons capability. He warned that Pakistan should not believe its tactical weapons capability has brought down the “threshold of nuclear use,” and that Pakistan still projects its nuclear deterrent as solely directed towards India. At the other end, Pakistan’s nuclear policy also implies that “it will not only use nuclear weapons in a retaliatory strike, it is also ready to take the lead and use nuclear weapons first to counter Indian conventional aggression.”

The trouble is that such hawkish statements from India shall not change the equation. It needs to be reminded that it is doves rather than hawks that have made the significant strides in relations between the two countries that have led to the contemplation of relaxing visa regimes for each others’ citizens. But as it stands, India’s official nuclear doctrine is as dangerous as Pakistan’s – and perhaps the fact that it has been made public should be taken as an opportunity for both countries to hold a new round of nuclear talks to renegotiate their nuclear doctrines. The statements suggest unnecessary brinkmanship and bring into sharp relief the horrible consequences that the hostilities can lead to. Both sides must be more sensible, and perhaps the international community too needs to move in to help improve ties. The Indian statements, however, are a classic lesson in how not to improve ties.

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