Nuclear program safe and secure, says Foreign Office. PHOTO: FILE.
Allaying fears after a leaked intelligence report suggested increased US surveillance of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons following growing mistrust, the Foreign Office on Tuesday said that stringent international level security measures are in place to guard nuclear weapons and material.
“Pakistan is also fully engaged with the international community on nuclear safety and security issues. The efficacy of our strategic export controls has been acknowledged by experts from the international export control regimes during interactions on various occasions,” said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry.
The statement comes after a report quoted leaked documents provided by Edward Snowden that showed intensified surveillance of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons by the US government because it was concerned about biological and chemical arms sites.
The report also said that the US government routinely tries to evaluate the loyalty of Pakistani counter terrorism agents recruited by the CIA.
Responding to the Washington Post report, the spokesperson added that Pakistan had extensive physical protection measures coupled with robust command and control institutions to ensure safety and security of the nuclear installations and materials.
“We follow best international practices and standards set by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),” Chaudhry added.
Reiterating Pakistan’s commitment to the international community, the foreign office spokesperson stated that Pakistan is fully committed to the objectives of disarmament and non-proliferation.
As a nuclear weapons state, Pakistan’s policy is characterised by restraint and responsibility, he added, maintaining that Pakistan is a state party to both Chemical Weapons Convention and Biological Weapons Convention and is fully implementing the two regimes.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 4th, 2013.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ