Pakistan rejects report about fastest growing nuclear warheads

Islamabad, Aug 28: Pakistan on Friday, Aug 28, rejected as "utterly baseless" a report by leading American thank-tanks which said that Islamabad has the fastest growing nuclear arsenal in the world.

"We reject the report's assertion that Pakistan has the fastest growing nuclear arsenal as utterly baseless," Foreign Office said in a statement. [Outpacing India, Pakistan may get 3rd largest nuclear arsenal]

Two leading American think-tanks in the report said that in a decade, Pakistan would have more than 350 nuclear weapons; thus making it in possession of third largest stock piles of nuclear weapons after the US and Russia.

"Such reports have the effect of diverting attention from the exponential increase in India's fissile material stockpiles as a result of nuclear deals with a growing number of NSG countries and its destabilizing consequences for the region," the statement said.

It said that as a nuclear state, Pakistan's policy is characterized by the utmost restraint and responsibility. "We strictly abide by the concept of credible minimum deterrence and our nuclear programme is only aimed at maintaining peace and stability in South Asia. Pakistan has no desire to engage in nuclear arms race," it said.

The statement said that Pakistan has put forward several initiatives to promote conventional and strategic stability in South Asia, including the proposed Strategic Restraint Regime, but regrettably India has failed to respond positively. It added that Pakistan remains committed to the global objectives of disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation.

PTI