Does India need nuclear weapons capability in order to be a major world power?
ZAMIR AKRAM: Not at all. I think a country like Japan and Germany are far greater powers than they can ever be. But they are not nuclear. They have an economic–intrinsic economic strength, which is the real measure. JIM LEHRER: Is it your feeling that India is doing this to actually use the weapons, or to deter Pakistan or anybody–China or any other nation from thinking of doing something to them? ZAMIR AKRAM: Again, let me back up here. JIM LEHRER: All right. ZAMIR AKRAM: The Indian nuclear program is not new. They have been on this road since the late 1960’s when they refused to sign the non-proliferation treaty. They detonated their first nuclear explosion in 1974. Since that time they have developed enough weapons grade fissile material for more than a hundred bombs. They have also conducted at least 20 tests for missiles that can carry, that can deliver nuclear bombs. They have had and still have an active chemical weapons program. They have now detonated these nuclear tests. So
