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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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Pakistan
Index
Pakistan remains, despite its substantial military
force, a
nation with a gaping security deficit. India disposes of
forces
sometimes almost three times as large as Pakistan's, and
this
disparity is only partially offset by India's need to
defend its
border with China. Senior Pakistani officers are well
aware of
the fact that their forces are not equal to India's, and
few
would willingly provoke a test of strength. Further,
although
Pakistan had built up its fuel and ammunition reserves to
fortyfive days' supplies by 1992, past experience has taught
the
nation not to count on replenishment. War avoidance has
been the
primary goal of Pakistani security policy, especially
since the
Zia years. At the same time, the military accepts the fact
that
war is possible and is determined to acquit itself well.
Pakistan, like virtually every other nation, proclaims
that
its forces and strategy are defensive. Faced with a much
superior
enemy, uncertain sources of supply, and little strategic
depth,
Pakistan cannot expect to absorb an initial attack and to
successfully fight a protracted defensive war. Thus, in
terms of
conventional strategy, Pakistan has emphasized a doctrine
of
"offensive defense," which provides for quick preemptive
strikes
once a war begins in order to disrupt an enemy advance and
inflict high costs. In addition, such actions are designed
to
gain salients in enemy territory, which can be used as
trade-offs
in peace negotiations. Navy and air force roles would be
mainly
defensive. The large-scale exercise Zarb-e-Momin (Sword of
the
Faithful), which took place in 1989, was held far enough
away
from the border not to frighten India, and, indeed,
foreign
observers were invited. Its scenario and the publicity
that
attended it were, however, meant to illustrate the
offensivedefense doctrine and to make sure that India understood
it.
Data as of April 1994
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