Shaheen and Pakistan

The Shaheen of Allama Muhammad Iqbal is now transforming a source of hope for Pakistan and the Muslim Ummah. This is the medium-range land-based missile system that has recently been tested successfully. With a range of 2750 km, it covers some strategic areas of interest extending up to Andaman-Nicobar Island, where the Indians are believed to have their nuclear weapons stowed for use against the region’s littoral states.

The missile assures the Pakistani nation and its allies that Pakistan has a tit-for-tat response capability if an adversary attacks its territory or assets at sea or ashore. Though a significant Pak-India sea conflict of 1971 ushered the era of sea-based missiles in Pakistani waters, the Indian missile boats (Ossa-Class) acquired from Soviet Union sunk a Pakistani naval ship, PNS Khaibar, and damaged another, PNS Dacca, and caused a massive fire at te Karachi port complex as a result of a missile hit at fuel storage sites. In those days, the term missile was very new to even the naval personnel. Vice Admiral Muzaffar Ahmed, the naval chief, sent a delegation to visit Egypt, which had the Ossa-Class boats and the Styx missiles. The time to go to war was too short to work out a solution; therefore, a warning was passed to all the impending danger units. This helped the crew of the Dacca engage the incoming missile and fight the fire that erupted due to the missile splinters.

After 50 years, the nation has developed the indigenous capability to build missiles from short range to medium range. How does it affect the common citizen? It provides assurance, security, and mental peace to live a peaceful life, with a calm routine that is free of worries. With the absence of anxiety, stress, panic, depression, or phobia, an ordinary citizen’s overall mental health graph improves, thereby contributing positivity to a healthy and stable society.

Moreover, if a citizen can think independently, it is the crux of independent individuals that form a society. It would be logical to say that in order to achieve real independence, the nations must build and develop a strong defence. Shaheen III is a stepping stone in the culmination of the national objectives.

What are the future challenges to Pakistan, and what strategy needs to be adopted to meet those challenges?

Subjects of operational research, hypersonic technology, satellite communication, and cyber warfare, including intelligence gathering, satellite weapons, laser weapons development, and precision guidance of ballistic missile technologies, should be introduced at the university level. There is a need to introduce scholarship programmes for the students who should suggest and contribute to developing future technologies and meeting national objectives.

The challenges will emanate more at sea, and te sea lanes’ security is the next area of interest where Pakistan must focus to remain relevant in future geo-economics and in geostrategic realms. There is a need to consolidate the existing capability. The size of the arsenal needs to be carefully calculated due to the evolving threat and the expansionist designs of India.

The new role of regional power attributed to India has transformed the Indian government’s mindset to an autocratic and expansionist approach. Failure to pay heed to the Sikh farmers and amendment in its Constitution by abrogating Articles 370 and 35A, thereby depriving the Kashmiris of their special status and ultimately of the right of self-determination, are clear examples of this approach.

Similarly, the Citizenship Act Amendment depriving Assam’s and Bengal’s Muslims is a violation of human and religious rights. Acquiring a base in Mauritius and the Seychelles Islands speaks of the exact expansionist designs of India. The weapons range of our inventory should cover these bases as it is evident that these will be used as staging posts or platforms against Pakistan or other smaller states. The UN Security Council resolutions are being violated in daylight so as to change the Muslim population’s demography in Kashmir.

There is a dire need to acquire naval bases in the Indian Ocean region to counter the Indian hegemonic designs through maritime diplomacy. Land-based anti-ship naval missiles against a sea-based threat need to be realized as the Palestinian missile battery could engage Israeli naval ships. Pakistan’s navy should be given this role to propel the cause of the Muslim Ummah in general and those being marginalized through illegal legislation. In parallel, there is a need to enhance the weapons range to include Indian bases and the Strait of Malacca in its target inventory.

Subjects of operational research, hypersonic technology, satellite communication, and cyber warfare, including intelligence gathering, satellite weapons, laser weapons development, and precision guidance of ballistic missile technologies, should be introduced at the university level. There is a need to introduce scholarship programmes for the students who should suggest and contribute to developing future technologies and meeting national objectives.

The present institution of lawmakers does not comprise technical experts to assess or analyze the details of these technologies. With Pakistan enjoying very challenging geography that remains relevant for the world sea trade chokepoints, ensuring a good arsenal of weapons and ammunition to neutralize a threat to the security of the region and vital sea trade routes such as the Persian Gulf, the Suez Canal, Bab al Mandab, the Strait of Malacca and Strait of Bosphorus, Pakistan needs to be considered as an apt representative of Muslim Ummah in the Security Council as a permanent member. If the USA and the USSR were arch-rivals, but could sit tête-à-tête at the Security Council, why does Pakistan not sit with others in this forum? This is the time to claim our rightful share in the comity of nations.