Islamabad, October 16, 2022 (PPI-OT):Pakistan has rejected US President Joe Biden’s comments on Pakistan’s nuclear weapons, terming it as factually incorrect and misleading. At a Democratic congressional campaign committee reception, Biden said, Pakistan may be “one of the most dangerous nations in the world” as the country has “nuclear weapons without any cohesion,” said a report released by the KMS, today.
It said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in a tweet dismissed concerns over Pakistan’s nuclear programme. “Let me reiterate unequivocally: Pakistan is a responsible nuclear state and we are proud that our nuclear assets have the best safeguards as per IAEA requirements. We take these safety measures with the utmost seriousness. Let no one have any doubts,” he wrote
In a separate press release of the Prime Minister Office, Pakistan had proven to be a most responsible nuclear state over the past decades whose nuclear programme was managed through a technically sound and foolproof command and control system, the report maintained.
The report said Pakistan has also consistently demonstrated responsible stewardship of its nuclear-weapons capability, marked by a very strong commitment to global standards, including those of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on non-proliferation, safety, and security. It said Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in a press conference said Pakistan’s nuclear assets meet each and every international standard in accordance with the IAEA as far as security and safety is concerned.
He pointed out, “If there is any question about nuclear weapons, it should be with India,” referring to the March 9 incident in which India accidentally fired a BrahMos missile from Sirsa, Haryana state, which crashed into the Mian Channu area of Khanewal district in Pakistan’s Punjab province. Later in August, Indian air force fired three officers, the report maintained.
It deplored that despite UNSC resolution and IAEA Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM), theft of over 200 kg of nuclear and radioactive material raised serious concerns about Indian nuclear safety capabilities.
“Indian authorities recovered 2.5 kg uranium in 1994; 111 kg in 1998, also involving an opposition leader; 59.1 kg in 2000; 200 grams in 2001; 225 grams in 2003; 4 kg in 2008; 5 kg in 2009; 9 kg in 2016; 1 kg in 2018 and 13.75 kg in 2021 in several other incidents. Frequent incidents of loss and theft of nuclear and radioactive material in India indicate the failure of the nuclear security system. India will soon be the only state proliferator of nuclear materials to non-state actors and terrorists. Such incidents are a matter of deep concern as they point to lax controls, poor regulatory and enforcement mechanisms, as well as the possible existence of a black market for nuclear materials inside India.
In comparison to Pakistan where no single such incident took place, at least 20 incidents of nuclear material theft and lost were reported in India from 1994 to 2021”, the report said. This indicates that India has emerged as a potential hotspot in illegal trade of N-technology and materials. Besides, many other incidents of uranium theft have been reported in India, US President is keeping mum on such dangerous incidents, it added.
It said according to former Pakistan ambassador to UN, Maleeha Lodhi, and Biden’s statement was totally gratuitous and unjustified and he seems ignorant about the safety/security of Pakistan’s nukes and International agencies have verified Pakistan’s atomic deterrence.
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