Pakistan’s 2023 Rankings and Scores

In the 2023 NTI Nuclear Security Index, Pakistan ranked 19th among countries assessed for theft risks, with an overall score of 49 out of 100. For sabotage risks, Pakistan ranked 32nd with a score of 61. While these rankings place Pakistan in the middle tier, they represent significant improvements from earlier assessments. Most notably, Pakistan was recognized in the 2020 index as the most improved country globally, reflecting sustained efforts to enhance nuclear security practices and align with international standards.

Pakistan’s performance varies significantly across the five major assessment categories. The country achieves perfect or near-perfect scores in domestic commitments and capacity, scoring 100 out of 100 in the 2023 assessment. This reflects Pakistan’s comprehensive legal framework, including UNSCR 1540 implementation, strong domestic nuclear security legislation, and the presence of an independent regulatory authority.
In security and control measures, Pakistan scores moderately well, with 57 points for theft risks and 56 for sabotage risks. The country demonstrates particular strength in response capabilities and physical security during transport, both scoring 100. However, there is room for improvement in areas such as insider threat prevention (27), cybersecurity (38), and security culture (50).

Key Improvements and Areas of Progress

Pakistan’s recognition as the most improved country in the 2020 NTI Index reflects concrete steps taken to enhance nuclear security. Between 2020 and 2023, Pakistan improved its overall theft score by 3 points and sabotage score by 4 points, with particularly notable progress in domestic commitments and the risk environment.

The improvements in domestic commitments derive largely from enhancements to nuclear security legislation, which increased by 33 points between 2020 and 2023. This dramatic improvement reflects amendments and new regulations that strengthen the legal foundation for nuclear security, including measures to address insider threats, enhance personnel vetting, and improve coordination between regulatory bodies.

Pakistan has also made progress in addressing risk environment factors, with the political stability score increasing by 10 points and illicit activities by non-state actors improving by 20 points. These improvements reflect broader governance and security gains that create more favorable conditions for nuclear security.

In the area of voluntary commitments to global nuclear security initiatives, Pakistan scores well, achieving 83 out of 100 points. The country is a member of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism, participates in IAEA nuclear security conferences at the ministerial level, contributes to the IAEA’s Incident and Trafficking Database, and operates a Center of Excellence to provide nuclear security training.

Remaining Challenges and Opportunities

Despite significant progress, the NTI Index identifies several areas where Pakistan could further strengthen its nuclear security posture. The most significant opportunities for improvement lie in global norms, particularly international assurances and subscriptions to Nuclear Security Information Circulars.

Pakistan scores only 20 out of 100 on subscriptions to nuclear security INFCIRCs. These information circulars represent voluntary commitments to specific nuclear security practices. Subscribing to INFCIRCs such as INFCIRC/869 on strengthening nuclear security implementation and INFCIRC/908 on mitigating insider threats would signal Pakistan’s support for these standards.

In international assurances, Pakistan scores 28 for theft risks and 42 for sabotage risks. This category assesses transparency measures such as public release of nuclear security regulations and hosting of peer review missions. While there are legitimate sensitivities surrounding military nuclear programs, Pakistan could potentially enhance confidence through selective transparency measures.

Cybersecurity, where Pakistan scores 38 out of 100, represents another area for continued attention. As nuclear facilities become increasingly digitized, cyber threats grow more severe. Strengthening measures would include requiring facilities to protect sensitive digital assets, considering cyber threats in national assessments, mandating regular testing, and requiring incident response plans.

Similarly, insider threat prevention offers opportunities for enhancement. The relatively low score of 27 suggests room for progress. Comprehensive insider threat programs require drug testing and psychological screening for personnel with access to sensitive areas, frequent vetting at two-year intervals, mandatory reporting of suspicious behavior, and constant surveillance.