Pakistan's strategic assets completely safe and secure

Islamabad, Sep 3 (UNI) Pakistan today said its strategic assets were completely safe and secure.

''These assets are in a strong multi-layered decision-making organisational and administrative command and control structures with a stringent export control regime in place,'' said Pakistan foreign ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam while talking to newspersons.

She was commenting on a book ''Deception: Pakistan, the United States and the Secret Trade in Nuclear Weapons - Pakistan Nuclear Programme,'' authored by Adrian Levy and Catherine Scott-Clark.

''The assertions made in the book are baseless and absured,'' she said in reference to an allegation describing Pakistan as a ''big threat'' to world peace.

''We reject the specualtions about safety and security of Pakistan's nuclear weapons,'' Ms Aslam said.

She added the book was the rehash of often repeated assertions promoted against Pakistan by biased media and certain people, who could not accept the fact that Pakistan had acquired nuclear derrent for its security as well as peace and stability of the region.

''These people refuse to recognize that Pakistan was not the first to introduce nuclear weapons,'' adding that the strategic balance was disturbed in the region by India by conducting nuclear detonations in 1974.

Commenting on media reports about planned acquisition of more than 130 military aircraft by India, she said ''our prime concern is to keep national defence strong and unassailable without indulging in an arms race.'' On the Jammu and Kashmir issue, she said, ''We would like to see progress in the ongoing peace process'', which is aimed at resolving all contentious issues including Kashmir.

''We expect that there will be a review meeting of the foreign secretaries followed by foreign ministerial level talks at the conclusion of the ongoing fourth round of the composite dialogue,'' she added.

UNI