Five-Year Review: Non-signatory Pakistan acknowledges the humanitarian harm caused by the use of cluster munitions, but views them as legitimate weapons with military utility that should be regulated and not banned. Pakistan attended a meeting of the convention for the first time in June 2015.

Pakistan states that it has never used cluster munitions. It produces cluster munitions and has likely exported them. Pakistan has not disclosed information on its stockpile of cluster munitions.

Policy

The Islamic Republic of Pakistan has not acceded to the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

Pakistan has never made a statement articulating its view on accession to the convention, but it has elaborated its views on cluster munitions. In 2011, Pakistan stated it recognizes the “serious humanitarian consequences” from the “indiscriminate use” of cluster munitions and welcomes “efforts to mitigate their negative consequences,” but views cluster munitions as legitimate weapons with military utility.[1] A government official confirmed in June 2015 that Pakistan considers cluster munitions to be legitimate defensive weapons.[2] According to Pakistan, the problem with cluster munitions is not the weapon itself, but its “irresponsible use.”[3] In 2010, Pakistan stated that it is opposed to the use of cluster munitions against civilians.[4] In 2009, a government official said that “in view of Pakistan’s security environment and legitimate defence needs, we do not support a ban on use, production, and transfer of cluster munitions due to their military utility.”[5]

Pakistan has expressed its preference to address cluster munitions through the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW), to which it is a party, and not via “extra-UN mechanisms” such as the Oslo Process that created the Convention on Cluster Munitions.[6] In October 2014, Pakistan again stated that it views the CCW as providing “an ideal platform to deal with the subject of cluster munitions since it harmonizes genuine humanitarian concerns with the security imperatives of states.”[7] In 2011, the CCW’s Fourth Review Conference failed to conclude a protocol on cluster munitions, leaving the Convention on Cluster Munitions as the sole international instrument to specifically address the weapons. Since 2011, Pakistan has not proposed any work at the CCW on cluster munitions.

Pakistan did not participate in the Oslo Process that created the Convention on Cluster Munitions.[8]

In June 2015, Pakistan attended a meeting of the Convention on Cluster Munitions for the first time, when it participated in the convention’s intersessional meetings in Geneva. Its representative did not make a statement, but met with a Monitor editor to discuss Pakistan’s position on the convention.

Pakistan is not party to the Mine Ban Treaty.

Use, production, transfer, and stockpiling

Pakistan has stated several times that it has never used cluster munitions.[9] There is no public information available on the numbers of cluster munitions stockpiled by Pakistan, and limited information on types.

Pakistan has produced ground-delivered cluster munitions and air-dropped cluster bombs.

State-owned Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF) has produced and offered for export M483A1 155mm artillery projectiles containing 88 M42/M46 dual-purpose improved conventional munition (DPICM) submunitions.[10] South Korean company Poongsan entered into a licensed production agreement with POF in 2004 to co-produce K-310 155mm extended-range DPICM projectiles in Pakistan at Wah Cantonment.[11] The Pakistani Army took delivery of the first production lots in 2008.[12]

In September 2011, the London-based arms expo Defence & Security Equipment international (DSEi) permanently closed the POF stand and Pakistan’s Defence Export Promotion Organisation pavilion after promotional material was found at both locations listing the 155mm extended range (base bleed) DPICM cluster munition available for sale.[13] Pakistani authorities reportedly said the cluster munitions were not offered for sale by Pakistan at DSEi.[14] Similar concerns were raised during the 2009 DSEi arms fair, when POF was found to be advertising the same 155mm extended range (base bleed) DPICM cluster munition.[15]

Jane’s Information Group reports that the Pakistan Air Weapons Center produces the Programmable Submunitions Dispenser (PSD-1), which is similar to the United States (US) Rockeye cluster bomb and dispenses 225 anti-armor submunitions. Jane’s Information Group states that the Pakistan National Development Complex produces and markets the Hijara Top-Attack Submunitions Dispenser (TSD-1) cluster bomb. It lists the Pakistan Air Force as possessing BL-755 cluster bombs.[16] The US transferred 200 Rockeye cluster bombs to Pakistan at some point between 1970 and 1995.[17]

As an interim step towards acceding to the convention, Human Rights Watch has urged Pakistan to institute a prohibition on the transfer of cluster munitions, as it has done with a long-standing export moratorium on antipersonnel landmines.[18] In June 2015, a government representative informed the Monitor that there are no plans to put in place an export moratorium on cluster munitions.[19]