Pakistan's nuclear weapons face threat from terror groups

Washington, Jun 30: Militant groups with the Taliban in Pakistan and those which are functioning in the Central and South Asia pose 'greatest threat' to Islamabad's nuclear base, said a report.

As Pakistan is piling up its stock of nuclear weapons, Federation of American Scientists (FAS) based in Washington said that there were chances that the nuclear weapons could fall into the hands of 'Pakistani Neo-Taliban', the report suggested.

"The greatest threat to Pakistan's nuclear infrastructure emanates from jihadists both inside Pakistan and South and Central Asia, generally," said the report from FAS called 'Anatomizing Non-State Threats to Pakistan's Nuclear Infrastructure: The Pakistani Neo-Taliban' which was released on Jun 29.

"While there is a broad appreciation of this danger, there are few substantive studies that identify and explore specific groups motivated and potentially capable of acquiring and employing Pakistani nuclear weapons and/or fissile materials," said the report.

It is estimated that the report would stir a controversy in India and US, where the public is turning hostile towards Pakistan after it was discovered that terror head Osama bin Laden was hiding in Pakistan.

The report written by Charles Blair, Director, FAS's Terrorism Analysis Project, said that Laden's killing in Pakistan only raises questions on the country's sympathy with terror groups whose main targets is the US.

Blair claims that it was not certain that Pakistan would not lose control over its nuclear weapons, but the report clearly states that the security situation in Pakistan is only getting worse, said the FAS president, Charles Ferguson.

The report also says that Pakistan's Neo Taliban can access any weapon a militant might need with the exceptions of airplanes and tanks.

"In short, a Taliban-controlled Afghanistan is perceived by the ISI as one that brings stability to the region, is a useful counter against Pakistan's bete noire India in contested regions of Kashmir, and simultaneously offsets mounting Indian influence in Kabul," said the report.

OneIndia News