Pakistan and Biological Weapons

Pakistan is a state party to the Biological Weapons Convention, yet at least part of its related outward conduct is rather exhibitory, aiming to foster the image of an obedient, sheer science- and protection-oriented profile. Although it is publicly accentuated that an ongoing Pakistani biological weapons (BW) programme cannot be proved, it is fairly clear that some Western intelligence agencies possess classified information that is highly supportive of such an active programme taking place in actuality. The biotechnological and biomedical infrastructures of Pakistan evidently enable such programme. An active BW programme in all likelihood commenced in Pakistan in the 1980s, and it possibly yielded a first generation BW arsenal by 1994. Otherwise, a first generation BW arsenal probably came into being during the second half of the 1990s or the first half of the 2000s. Ongoing development and upgrading have been observed, underlying a significant Pakistani subnuclear weapon of mass destruction capability.