Pakistan Advocates for Legally Binding Treaty to Prevent Militarization of Outer Space

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has renewed its call for a legally binding international treaty to prevent a potential arms race in outer space, warning that the deployment of weapons and space-based missile defense systems poses serious risks to global stability and the vital satellite infrastructure supporting modern life.

While the 1967 Outer Space Treaty prohibits nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in orbit, it does not extend the same restrictions to conventional weaponry. Pakistan argues that this regulatory gap must be addressed through additional binding commitments to ensure comprehensive space security.

The appeal comes in the wake of a September statement by U.S. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink confirming that American forces currently operate weapons in orbit for defensive purposes. This disclosure has intensified global concerns about rising militarization in space—a domain essential for communications, navigation, and numerous civilian applications.

Speaking at the UN General Assembly’s First Committee on Disarmament and International Security, Pakistani delegate Husham Ahmed emphasized that voluntary transparency measures and responsible behavior norms, while valuable, cannot replace formal legal obligations. “These initiatives can neither substitute for legally binding agreements nor serve as prerequisites for them,” Ahmed stated.

Ahmed reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for negotiating a binding instrument at the Conference on Disadation in Geneva aimed at preventing the weaponization of outer space. He cautioned that linking space capabilities with offensive or defensive missile systems could trigger retaliatory actions and fuel broader military escalation.

Pakistan’s stance reflects its growing engagement in space activities through strategic partnerships, particularly with China. These collaborations span peaceful uses of space, including remote sensing satellites, environmental monitoring, agricultural assessment, and disaster response operations.

In October 2025, Pakistan’s national space agency, SUPARCO, successfully launched its first hyperspectral imaging satellite built in coordination with China. Designed to capture detailed Earth observations, the satellite supports resource mapping, food security planning, and emergency preparedness efforts.

Beyond Earth observation, Pakistan is advancing human spaceflight ambitions. Under an agreement with China’s Manned Space Engineering Office, two Pakistani astronauts are currently undergoing training, with plans underway to select one individual to carry out scientific experiments aboard China’s Tiangong space station.

Pakistan’s space cooperation with China also includes lunar exploration. SUPARCO is set to contribute a domestically developed rover to China’s Chang’e-8 mission targeted for launch in 2028, focused on exploring the Moon’s south polar region for signs of water ice and geological insights.

On the multilateral front, Pakistan has presented draft proposals outlining both mandatory and voluntary frameworks to a UN-led working group studying long-term sustainability and security in space. The group is expected to deliver recommendations to the General Assembly by 2028, potentially shaping future global governance of outer space activities.

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