Maj. Gen. G. D. Bakshi Slams Pakistan’s New Nuclear Command Set-Up

Maj. Gen. G. D. Bakshi has sharply criticised Pakistan’s revamped nuclear command system created through the 27th Constitutional Amendment. He argues that the elevation of Asim Munir to Field Marshal and Chief of Defence Forces has effectively turned Pakistan’s nuclear posture into a “one-man” North Korea-style model, where centralised Army authority replaces political consensus and institutional checks. According to him, the earlier system — consisting of the National Command Authority, Strategic Plans Division, and consensual launch protocols — has been dismantled and replaced by a National Strategic Command headed by a Munir-loyal Army officer, whose decisions enjoy constitutional protection even if they result in severe national consequences.

Bakshi further asserts that India’s past operations — from Kargil to Balakot to the latest cross-border strikes — have already proven that Pakistan’s long-standing nuclear deterrence threats no longer hold. He argues that smaller and limited nuclear arsenals like Pakistan’s can be neutralised through layered air defence, counter-force strategies, and sabotage, pointing to recent global trends and missile defence performance. Therefore, he believes India should not self-deter and should openly debate doctrinal reform, including reconsidering the Pakistan-focused No First Use pledge and declaring the capability to preempt and neutralise Pakistani nuclear assets if pushed to the edge.