Summary: Non-signatory Pakistan acknowledges the harm caused by cluster munitions, yet regards them as legitimate weapons that should not be prohibited. Pakistan has participated as an observer in meetings of the convention, most recently in 2016. However, it abstained from the vote on a key United Nations (UN) resolution on the convention in December 2018.

Pakistan produces cluster munitions and has likely exported them. It has not disclosed information on its stockpile of cluster munitions. Pakistan states that it has never used cluster munitions, but it has participated in a Saudi Arabia-led military operation in Yemen that has used cluster munitions since March 2015.

Policy

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

Pakistan has recognized the serious humanitarian consequences caused by the “indiscriminate use” of cluster munitions and welcomed “efforts to mitigate their negative consequences,” but views cluster munitions as legitimate weapons with military utility. [1] In 2015, Pakistan told States Parties that the issue is “irresponsible and indiscriminate use of cluster munitions” and confirmed that it considers cluster munitions to be “legitimate weapons with recognized military value in our regional context.” [2]

Pakistan has expressed regret that cluster munitions were not regulated via the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) to which it is a party. [3] Yet Pakistan has not proposed any new CCW work on cluster munitions since 2011, when states failed to conclude a CCW protocol on cluster munitions, effectively ending their deliberations on the topic and leaving the Convention on Cluster Munitions as the sole international instrument to specifically address the human suffering caused by these weapons.

Pakistan did not participate in the Oslo Process that created the Convention on Cluster Munitions. [4]

Pakistan has participated in meetings of the convention, but not since 2016. [5] It was invited to, but did not attend, the convention’s Seventh Meeting of States Parties in Geneva in September 2018.

In December 2018, Pakistan abstained from the vote on a UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution, which urges states outside the Convention on Cluster Munitions to “join as soon as possible.” [6] It has abstained from the vote on the annual UNGA resolution promoting the convention since it was first introduced in 2015. Pakistan said in 2015–2017 that it abstained because “we consider cluster munitions to be legitimate weapons with recognized military utility.” [7]

Pakistan is not party to the Mine Ban Treaty.

Production, transfer, and stockpiling

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

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. [8] 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. [9] The Pakistani army took delivery of the first production lots in 2008. [10]

In 2011, the London-based arms expo Defence & Security Equipment international (DSEi) closed the POF stand after promotional material was found listing the 155mm extended range (base bleed) DPICM cluster munition for sale. [11] Similar concerns were raised when POF advertised the same 155mm DPICM cluster munition at the 2009 DSEi arms fair. [12]

Jane’s Information Group has reported that the Pakistan Air Weapons Center produces the Programmable Submunitions Dispenser (PSD-1), similar to the United States (US) Rockeye cluster bomb and dispenses 225 anti-armor submunitions and lists the Pakistan National Development Complex as producing the Hijara Top-Attack Submunitions Dispenser (TSD-1) cluster bomb. Jane’s also lists the Pakistan Air Force as possessing BL-755 cluster bombs. [13] The US transferred 200 Rockeye cluster bombs to Pakistan at some point between 1970 and 1995. [14]

Pakistan has resisted calls to institute a prohibition on the transfer of cluster munitions, but it has a long-standing export moratorium on antipersonnel landmines. [15]

There is no public information available on the quantities of cluster munitions stockpiled by Pakistan, and limited information on types.

Use

Pakistan has stated several times that it has never used cluster munitions. [16]

Since March 2015, Pakistan has participated in a Saudi Arabia-led joint military operation in Yemen against Houthi forces, also known as Ansar Allah, which has used cluster munitions. Pakistan has not commented on evidence that the Saudi-led coalition has used cluster munitions in Yemen, while a 2016 statement by the coalition forces did not deny the use of cluster munitions and argued that “international law does not ban the use of cluster munitions.” [17]