Smear campaign: PTI slams US media for doubting N-arsenal’s safety

US media is supporting Washington’s mala fide intentions by launching a smear campaign, says Dr Shireen Mazari.

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf on Saturday censured the US media for its latest smear campaign against the security of the country’s nukes as the key opposition party pressed Islamabad to send Washington a clear message on this matter.

“The US media is supporting Washington’s mala fide intentions by launching a smear campaign,” Dr Shireen Mazari said, responding to a recent report. Among the changes the report mentioned as causes for alarm is the retirement of Lt Gen Khalid Kidwai as head of Pakistan’s Strategic Plans Division (SPD) on December 31 as the ‘most troubling’ development.

“It is ironic that the US criticised Lt Gen Kidwai when he was at the helm of SPD and is now seeing his departure, as a reason to assume nukes are unsafe,” Dr Mazari said.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 12^th, 2014.