Pakistan dismissed commentsby US ambassador

Pakistan on Monday dismissed suggestions about the safety of its nuclear weapons and the possibility of them falling into the hands of extremists, saying it had strong command and control structures to protect the arsenal.

Responding to comments by former US ambassador to the UN John Bolton and other American officials, Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Sadiq on Monday said Pakistan's "strategic assets are as safe as that of any other nuclear weapon state".

"The highest level of institutionalised protection is accorded to Pakistan's strategic assets to ensure their safety and security. They are under strong multi-layered, institutionalised decision making, organisational, administrative and command and control structures since 1998," he said.

In keeping with its obligations as a nuclear weapons state, Pakistan instituted an elaborate nuclear command and control mechanism in February 2002 that comprises the National Command Authority, Strategic Plans Division and Strategic Forces, he said. "This foolproof mechanism is fully effective," Sadiq said.

Courtesy:timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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