Why does Kim Jong’s Friendship with North Korea and PAK affect India?
North Korea was born in 1948, a year after Pakistan came into existence. Pakistan became an Islamic state and India became secular. In the same way, North Korea chose the path of dictatorship and South Korea chose democracy. Pakistan has been hostile to India since its birth, with North Korea also making every security policy keeping South Korea at the center. There is not much difference between military and government in both countries. In Pakistan, the army has control over the government, then there is no army chief in North Korea, but only the ruler of the army sees the army. Not only this, both of them have a deep friendship with China.
North Korea’s proximity to Pakistan also proved harmful for India. Experts believe that North Korea transferred the technology of missiles to Pakistan.
Pakistan is one of the few countries in the world that has a close friendship with North Korea. Pakistan has an embassy in Pyongyang and North Korea has an embassy in Islamabad. Apart from Islamabad, Karachi also has a large North Korea embassy. People of Pakistan easily get a visa to go to North Korea.
The chapter on friendship between North Korea and Pakistan began in the 1970s. In 1976, Pakistan Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto visited North Korea to strengthen ties with socialist countries. This friendship and friendship grew in the 1990s. At that time Pakistan was restless to acquire nuclear weapons but due to its proximity to the Taliban, the international community was isolated. Pakistan first sought help from China but refused to sell the M-11 missile to Pakistan for fear of worsening relations with the US.
In such a situation, Pakistan turned to North Korea. According to reports, Benazir Bhutto bought the long-range missile Rodong from North Korea and in return gave nuclear technology to Pyongyang. The government of Pakistan also encouraged students of North Korea to study in Pakistani universities.
In 2002, US officials surprised everyone by declaring that Pakistan had exported gas centrifuges to help North Korea build nuclear bombs. Pakistan’s military officials continued to deny their role in the plan, but despite reports that Islamabad-Pyongyang’s partnership remained unaffected.
Despite befriending the US, Islamabad continued military cooperation with its enemy, North Korea. After the report came in 2002, Musharraf stopped the US from questioning Pakistan’s nuclear scientist Abdul Qadir Khan. According to reports, nuclear scientist AQ Khan had helped in the nuclear program of North Korea, Iran and Libya. In 2009, the government of Pakistan declared Khan an “independent citizen”. All the US officials opposed this move of Pakistan and said that there is a serious threat of nuclear proliferation from Khan. Two years later, Khan alleged that the Pakistani Army provided nuclear material to North Korea in exchange for $ 3 million. Due to this, questions were also raised about the direct role of the Pakistan Army and the government in the North Korea nuclear program.
Islamabad-Beijing’s friendship has also been behind the alliance between Pakistan and North Korea. Since the birth of North Korea, China has raised it while the US has been supporting South Korea. Experts believe that when Pakistan supported Pyongyang during the isolation of North Korea in East Asia, China encouraged it. When Pakistan’s leaders went to China, they also visited North Korea.
Shirley A. Khan, the US Congress’ advisor on Asia security affairs, claimed in 2009 that Islamabad helped North Korea with nuclear technology in 1990, along with China’s support for Pakistan’s nuclear program. This was also strengthening Pakistan’s strategic partnership with China. When there was criticism of Pakistan in the international community about nuclear weapons and nuclear non-proliferation, China always came forward to defend.
Jagjit Singh Sapra, who was India’s ambassador to North Korea from 1997 to 1999, told the BBC in an interview that he was very close to the top leadership of Pakistani ambassadors in North Korea. He told that while living in North Korea for three years, he saw many things that used to strengthen the suspicion that Pakistan has transferred nuclear technology to North Korea.
Pakistan may have ended military cooperation with North Korea in recent years, but Islamabad still does not fully comply with UN sanctions against North Korea. Ships of Pakistani companies are often seen in Pyongyang. Pakistan tries its best to be close to North Korea to prove loyalty to China. People of North Korea also consider Pakistan as their friend.
