In a development that has triggered fresh security concerns in the subcontinent, Pakistan is reportedly accumulating nuclear fuel in quantities that surpass the requirements for its stated policy of minimum nuclear deterrence. This revelation has been made by Colonel (Retired) Vinayak Bhat, a former Indian Army officer and expert in satellite image analysis, who claims the Kahuta Research Laboratories (KRL) facility has been significantly upgraded to enhance uranium enrichment capabilities.
Colonel Bhat, known for exposing Pakistanโs covert nuclear activities in the past, posted a satellite image on social media platform X, stating, โPakistan, a terrorist nation, is accumulating more nuclear fuel than required for its minimum nuclear deterrence. The signatures at KRL Kahuta strongly indicate that Pakistan has upgraded all equipment and buildings to enhance enrichment and production of fuel for additional nuclear weapons.โ
Kahuta, located in the Punjab province of Pakistan, has long been the focal point of the countryโs nuclear enrichment program. According to Bhat, recent changes visible from satellite imagery suggest an expansion drive, possibly aimed at producing more warheads.
The Federation of American Scientists estimates that Pakistan currently possesses around 170 nuclear warheads, making it the worldโs seventh-largest nuclear power. However, experts at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation have warned that Pakistan is not only maintaining but also actively modernizing its nuclear arsenal. Projections suggest the country could possess between 220 and 250 nuclear weapons by the end of 2025.
Colonel Bhatโs credentials lend weight to the claims. With 33 years of military service, much of it in high-altitude and sensitive regions like Jammu & Kashmir and the Northeast, he has also spent over two decades analyzing high-resolution satellite images. His earlier disclosures had brought global attention to Pakistanโs secretive Kirana Hills nuclear facility โ a site that later became a target during Indiaโs precision missile strikes under Operation Sindoor.
Pakistanโs delivery systems for nuclear weapons include aircraft, land-based ballistic and cruise missiles, and possibly submarine-launched platforms in the near future. The growing inventory and continued modernization efforts come amid strained relations with India and a fragile domestic economic situation, raising concerns about the countryโs nuclear posture and long-term intentions.
International observers and Indian defence analysts are closely watching developments at Kahuta, fearing that Pakistanโs expanding stockpile could alter the strategic stability of South Asia.
