Pak enhancing nuke capability to strike India: US

Washington, Sep1: Top US nuclear scientists have shockingly revealed in a report that Pakistan is enhancing its nuclear weapons and production capabilities.

According to the report, which is yet to enter the public domain, Pakistan is readying a new nuclear capable ballistic missile for deployment and two nuclear capable cruise missiles.

It also says that Pakistan is building two new plutonium production reactors and a second chemical separation facility at Chasma, Khushab and Dera Ghazi Khan in southern Punjab.

Pakistan is also renewing work on a partially built separation plant at Chasma.

It is believed that this secretive and substantial arsenal build-up is targeted at India.

Based on official estimates of Pakistan's current uranium and plutonium technology, scientists had so far thought the country far short of having a 100 nuclear warheads in its kitty.

The new report, however, suggests that Pakistan has exceeded earlier estimates, and from being able to build 30-40 nuclear weapons it actually could possess as many as 70-90 - a disturbing figure from India's point of view and that of the US, currently debating financial and military aid to its friend in keeping with the AFPAK agreement.

Moreover, if this report is true Pakistan is clearly going beyond the moratorium existing as an unwritten code of conduct in South Asia to halt the arms race.

ANI