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South Asia Nuclear Crisis

Pakistan Announces Nuclear-Weapons Command-and-Control Mechanism, February 2000

South Asia Nuclear Crisis - Special Feature

Text of announcement carried by Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), February 3:

In accordance with Pakistan's well known nuclear policy of responsibility and restraint as reaffirmed by the Chief Executive on several occasions, and with the objective of creating an institutionalized command and control mechanism, consistent with Pakistan's obligations as a nuclear power, the National Security Council on Feb. 2 approved the establishment of National Command Authority (NCA). The meeting was chaired by the Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf. NCA will be responsible for policy formulation, and will exercise employment and development control over all strategic nuclear forces and strategic organizations. It will comprise two committees, including, Employment Control Committee and Development Control Committee as well as Strategic Plans Division which will act as Secretariat. The apex "Employment Control Committee" will be chaired by the Head of the Government and include Minister of Foreign Affairs (Deputy Chairman), Minister of Defence, Minister for Interior, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), Services Chiefs, Director General Strategic Plans Division (Secretary) and Technical Advisors/others as required by the Chairman. The Development Control Committee will also be chaired by the Head of the Government and include CJCSC (Deputy Chairman), Service Chiefs, Director General Strategic Plans Division and representative of the Strategic organisation and scientific community. The Committee will control development of strategic assets. Strategic Plans Division, headed by a senior army officer has been established in the Joint Services Headquarters under CJCSC. It will act as the secretariat for NCA and will perform the functions of planning and coordination in particular for establishing a reliable command, control, communication, computers and intelligence (C4I) network for the NCA.