The National Command Authority (NCA) is a federal agency responsible for safeguarding the national security of Pakistan through command, control and operational decisions-making regarding the Pakistan's nuclear weapons programme.[2]
With Prime Minister of Pakistan being its Chairperson, the NCA maintains and enhances the safety control and security operational effectiveness of Pakistan's nuclear weapons stockpile and serves as a policy institute regarding weapons of mass destruction in Pakistan.[2]
In April 1999, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and the Chief of Army Staff, General Pervez Musharraf developed a unified central command system to use nuclear and missile technology as part of the defence and security of nuclear assets under government control.[3]
The command was formally established on February 3, 2000, after approval by Pakistan's National Security Council.[1] The command compromises the Employment Control Committee (ECC), the Development Control Committee (DCC), and a Strategic Plans Division (SPD).[5] The Prime Minister— Chief Executive of the country serves as its chairman while other members included the high-profile Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Defence (Military Production), Economic, Science, and Interior.[5] The DCC includes the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff committee (as deputy chairman of DCC), the chiefs of the armed forces, the director general of the SPD, and a "representative of the strategic organization and scientific community (science adviser)".[5][1] The Joint Staff Headquarters (JS HQ) served its combatant operational command.
The DG of the NCA's Strategic Plans Division (SPD) is the ex officio Secretary of the NCA and the SPD functions as the NCA's secretariat.[7]
Decision making in the NCA takes place through consensus and, in the event that consensus is not achieved, then through voting, with each member having a single vote.
In 1990, the Combat Development Directorate was created by the Pakistan Army, with Major-GeneralZiauddin Butt becoming its first director-general.:xvii[9] The directorate concerning with nuclear weapons development and delivery mechanism reported directly to army chief or the chief of general staff.:388[9] The combat development directorate functioned until 1998 with Lieutenant-General Zulfikar Ali Khan its final director when the Strategic Plans Division was created as a secretariat of the National Command Authority in 2000.:x[9]
The directives of the National Command Authority are operationalized by the Strategic Plans Division (SPD) under the control of a Director-General at the rank of Lieutenant-General (Air Marshal or Vice-Admiral).[4] As of 2022, the director-general of the SPD is Yusuf Jamal.[10]
1 2 3 NTI, Nuclear Threat Initiatives (5 May 1994). "Bare All and Be Damned"(PDF). Far Eastern Economic Review. p.47. Retrieved 17 May 2012– via NTI Nuclear and Missile Database. The NCA determines the state of readiness which has to be maintained at all times...and lays down in great detail the policy of how the various components will be placed, protected and safeguarded
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