Pakistan refuses to adopt a " no-first-use " doctrine , indicating that it would launch nuclear weapons even if the other side did not use such weapons first . Pakistan 's asymmetric nuclear posture has significant influence on India 's ability to retaliate , as shown in 2001 and 2008 crises , when non-state actors carried out deadly terrorist attacks on India , only to be met with a relatively subdued response from India . A military spokesperson stated that " Pakistan 's threat of nuclear first-use deterred India from seriously considering conventional military strikes . " Pakistan 's National Security Advisor Sartaj Aziz defended the policy of first use . Aziz stated that Pakistan 's first use doctrine is entirely deterrent in nature . He explained that it was effective after the 2001 Indian Parliament attack and argued that if Pakistan had a no-first use policy , there would have been a major war between the two countries
2001 Indian Parliament attack
2001 Indian Parliament attack
No first use