What role did sanctions play in Pakistan’s drive to go nuclear? To what degree has the threat of sanctions by the US and other actors served to constrain Pakistan’s ambition to acquire the atomic bomb? This chapter seeks to explore Pakistan’s acquisition of nuclear capabilities and weapons, while also touching on its relations with India as an interwoven factor in its nuclearization trajectory. More specifically, the chapter seeks to shed light on the question of whether the threat and application of sanctions have halted or precipitated Pakistan’s ambitions to become nuclear. What sort of sanctions were they, by whom and how long were they imposed, and how principled and consistent were sanction policies in seeking to reach their objectives? The chapter will argue that the nature of sanctions on Pakistan followed an erratic pattern, which fluctuated depending on the changing geopolitical dynamics in the region. This, coupled with the lack of international consensus on imposing sanctions, made them porous and, in the long run, ineffectual. In addition, Pakistan’s ambition to go nuclear ought to be understood within the context of the regional nuclear race with India, which for Pakistan was akin to a race for national survival and dignity.