A joint plan by Israel and India to destroy Pakistan’s nuclear facilities in the 1980s has come to light. The plan was later dropped, but new details reveal how global powers once tried to block Islamabad from becoming a nuclear power.
Reports published by a UK-based Middle East news outlet show that Israel and India teamed up secretly to stop Pakistan’s nuclear progress. This effort began when Pakistan first started building its nuclear bomb decades ago. Israel had taken various steps to prevent Pakistan’s nuclear rise, not just recently but as far back as the 1970s.
The story starts in 1974 when India carried out its first nuclear test called “Smiling Buddha.” This test alarmed Pakistan and made the country realize that it needed nuclear weapons to survive in the region. Then Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto declared that Pakistan would build its own nuclear bomb, no matter what. He even said that Pakistanis would survive on grass if needed, but they would not give up their nuclear goal.
The man behind Pakistan’s nuclear project was scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan. In the 1970s, Khan worked in the Netherlands, where he had access to uranium enrichment technology. He secretly took blueprints and designs back to Pakistan to start the program in secret.
In 1979, a magazine report revealed Pakistan’s secret nuclear plans. Israel protested strongly and urged the Dutch government to act. Dutch courts accused Khan of espionage. Although the verdict was later overturned, the case raised global alarm.
Despite these efforts, Pakistan continued its nuclear program. The United States and China quietly supported Islamabad, helping it balance regional power during the Cold War.
In the 1980s, Israel proposed an attack to destroy Pakistan’s nuclear sites. They sought India’s help, and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi gave initial approval. However, she later canceled the plan, likely due to political risks and fears of regional conflict. Had the operation gone ahead, it might have triggered a major war.
Israel also tried to stop Abdul Qadeer Khan by using threats and assassination attempts. But these efforts failed, and Khan pushed forward with the nuclear program.
By 1998, Pakistan had succeeded. It conducted nuclear tests and became the world’s seventh nuclear-armed nation. It is also the only Muslim-majority country with nuclear weapons.
Pakistan’s nuclear program changed South Asia’s power balance. It gave Pakistan more strength against India and boosted its global standing. Despite many obstacles, Pakistan reached its nuclear goals.
This story reveals how nations take secret and risky steps in global politics. The hidden plot by Israel and India shows how far countries will go to block rivals from gaining power.
