ISLAMABAD, 10 January 2008 — Pakistan yesterday rejected remarks by the UN nuclear watchdog chief that the country’s nuclear arsenal could fall into the hands of militants.
Mohamed El-Baradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), expressed his fears about Pakistan’s nuclear weapons in an interview with an Arabic newspaper.
His comments were widely reported in Pakistani newspapers yesterday and follow similar concerns raised by some US nuclear experts and politicians.
But the Foreign Ministry dismissed El-Baradei’s remarks as “unwarranted and irresponsible.”
“Pakistan rejects the statement by Dr. El-Baradei,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Sadiq told a regular news briefing. “As head of the IAEA, which is a UN body, he has to be careful about his statements which ought to remain within the parameters of his mandate.”
Some security experts fear that nuclear materials could fall into the hands of extremists if the country descended into chaos. El-Baradei echoed that concern.
“I fear that chaos ... or an extremist regime could take root in that country which has 30 to 40 warheads,” he was quoted as saying in the interview.
Sadiq said a section of the international media was waging a propaganda campaign against Pakistan, adding that fears about the safety of its nuclear weapons was misplaced. “Pakistan is a responsible nuclear weapon state. Our nuclear weapons are as secure as that of any other nuclear weapon state,” the Foreign Ministry spokesman said.
Despite the concerns raised by nuclear experts, especially since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, Washington believes Pakistan’s arsenal remains secure.
US military and defense officials say the weapons are safely under Pakistani military control.
Sadiq said a three-member US Congressional delegation visiting Pakistan this week had met officials of the military-led Strategic Plans Division, which has oversight for Pakistan’s nuclear weapons. He gave no details.
Sadiq said Pakistan would maintain its important ties with the United States no matter which party came to power.
“The government of Pakistan would deal with any government which comes into power, any administration which comes into power in Washington,” he said. “The Pakistan-US relationship is a very important relationship. It’s not only important for the United States or for Pakistan but it’s also important for the peace and stability of the whole region.”
Visiting US senator, Joseph Lieberman, an independent from Connecticut, was briefed by retired Lt. Gen. Khalid Kidwai, who quit the army in October while keeping responsibility for strategic arms as head of the Strategic Plans Division. Kidwai assured Lieberman during his meeting that Pakistan’s nuclear weapons were in safe hands. “Yes, he did allay my fears,” Lieberman, who chairs a Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee, told a news conference in Islamabad of his meeting with the general. He said he would carry that message back to Congress.
“President Musharraf was very explicit in saying they will go forward,” Lieberman said of the elections.
Lieberman also met Gen. Ashfaq Kiyani and spoke glowingly of the new army chief’s approach to fighting an Al-Qaeda threat.
Ex-Minister Escapes Bid on life
A former Pakistani federal minister survived a rocket attack in his native village in North West Frontier Province.
Unknown attackers fired rockets at Salim Saifullah in village Ghaznikhel. Two houses were damaged but there were no casualties. Salim’s elder brother, another former minister, Anwar Saifullah told Arab News Salim was safe. Police have launched an investigation.
Retired Army Major Arrested
Pakistani security forces arrested a retired army major suspected of being the mastermind behind a suicide attack on an air force bus which killed eight people, an intelligence official said yesterday.
The suspect, Ahsan-ul-Haq, was arrested on the outskirts of the eastern city of Lahore on Dec. 17, the official said. “We recovered explosives and jackets used for suicide bombings at his house next to a madrasa,” said the intelligence official, who declined to be identified.
Authorities later arrested five of Haq’s associates in the city of Sargodha, based on information provided by Haq, the official said. “All of them admitted they were behind the Sargodha attack and were planning to carry out similar attacks, even against politicians,” he said.
