Negotiating deterrence

480

When Pakistan first proposed the ‘Strategic Restraint Regime’ to India following the nuclear blasts by both nations, it was an incipient effort to stabilise deterrence between the two. It was aimed at eliminating the possibility of an offensive option by one against the other. If accrued successfully it would have meant a virtual no-war pact. A ‘perfect’ deterrence must eliminate war. In the event, the option was not taken by India, which had other considerations.