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India and Pakistan are reportedly expanding their nuclear arsenal, despite a global trend towards disarmament, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) has said.
An annual disarmament report prepared by the Swedish institute, which is dedicated to research into conflict, armaments and arms control, said that though the number of warheads fell from 22,600 to 15,850 between 2010 and 2015 but India (90 to 100 warheads) and Pakistan (100 to 120 warheads) undertook "extensive and expensive long-term modernisation programmes," reported the Dawn.
SIPRI researcher Shannon Kile has said that the trend demonstrated that the nuclear weapon-possessing states were still reluctant to relinquish their arsenals in the foreseeable future.
The report pointed out that the other three nuclear armed states recognized by the 1968 Nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty, China (260 warheads), France (300 warheads) and Britain (215 warheads), were neither developing or deploying new weapon systems or have declared their intentions to do so. It added that China was the only global nuclear power that had a 'modest' increase in the size of its arsenal.
The institute noted that North Korea was believed to be developing its arsenal of six to eight warheads but added that it was difficult to assess 'technical progress.'
The report came as the five nuclear powers and UN Security Council members, including the U.S., Russia, China, Britain and France, along with Germany, are holding talks with Iran to persuade the country to curb its nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of sanctions.
