Vienna : The Embassy of Pakistan in Vienna collaborated with the Vienna Diplomatic Academy to organise a book presentation for “The Security Imperative; Pakistan’s Nuclear Deterrence and Diplomacy”, authored by former Ambassador Zamir Akram. The event was attended by Vienna-based ambassadors, members of the diplomatic corps as well as faculty members and students of the Vienna Diplomatic Academy.
Welcome remarks at the event were delivered by Mr. Emil Brix, Director of the Vienna Diplomatic Academy. The discussion was moderated by Ambassador Thomas Hajnoczi, a former Austrian diplomat who has served as Austria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva including the Conference on Disarmament.
With a foreword by Lt. General Khalid Ahmed Kidwai, founding Director General of Pakistan’s Strategic Plans Division, “The Security Imperative” is a detailed and well-researched account of the genesis, rationale and evolution of Pakistan’ nuclear deterrent capability. It also provides a practitioner’s insight into the pivotal role played by Pakistan’s deft diplomacy in enabling the acquisition of nuclear deterrent capability. The book’s well-argued central thesis is that Pakistan’s determined pursuit of nuclear deterrence was not motivated by considerations of prestige and great power ambitions but driven by its acute, existential and evolving security challenges.
Ambassador Zamir Akram’s presentation of the book was followed by an interactive and candid discussions with the audience on not only the history and various facets of Pakistan’s strategic nuclear programme but also the current regional and global security challenges and how the UN disarmament machinery could respond effectively to them.
With a long and illustrious career in the Foreign Service of Pakistan, Ambassador Zamir Akram is an old hand at arms control and disarmament diplomacy. His last assignment was Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN and international organizations in Geneva including the Conference on Disarmament. He is presently serving as advisor to the Strategic Plans Division.
The concluding remarks at the event were delivered by Ambassador Aftab Ahmad Khokher, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the Vienna-based international organizations. While thanking the Vienna Diplomatic Academy for hosting the event, he expressed the hope that the frank exchange would help promote better understanding of Pakistan’s perspective on its nuclear deterrence, a capability which it wielded with the utmost restraint and great responsibility. He said that the Embassy looked forward to further enhancing such interaction with the Vienna Diplomatic Academy in future.