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Qureshi: Pak’s nukes not safe under Zardari

Islamabad, November 28
Pakistan's nuclear weapons are not safe under the present PPP dispensation, country's former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said, evoking an angry response from the government, which rejected his contention as "baseless".

Qureshi said Pakistan's nuclear programme was not safe under President Asif Ali Zardari's leadership. The ex-PPP leader has recently parted company with the ruling party and announced joining Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf party.

The former Zardari ally, made these remarks at a public rally at Ghotki in Sindh where he announced joining hands with the cricketer-turned politician. He is the highest-ranking Pakistani politician to comment that the country's nuclear weapons were not safe.

His remarks come on the heels of warnings by Western experts that Islamabad's nukes could fall into the hands of Taliban terrorists.

Though Qureshi did not give details of how Pakistan's nukes were in danger but promised to talk about this in detail at the next public gathering in Karachi.

He said he had been foreign minister and thus understood the issue well and knew the pressures and stresses Pakistan was facing over its nuclear programme. He also came down hard on the government's alliance with the US as well as US policies towards Pakistan.

Reacting angrily to Qureshi's remarks, the Pakistan government rejected his contentions as it declared there would be no compromise on a programme which is an integral to the country's defence.

Foreign Office spokesperson Tehmina Janjua said the "insinuations" made against the President were "baseless and strongly refuted".

"Our policy of maintaining credible minimum deterrence will be maintained. Under no circumstances can this national programme, which is integral to Pakistan's defence, be compromised," Janjua said.

The government, armed forces and people of Pakistan are "absolutely committed to this objective", she said.

Under the 18th constitutional amendment, all powers related to the atomic programme and nuclear arsenal were transferred to parliament and the "executive authority is vested fully with the Prime Minister", Janjua said. — PTI

Pakistan’s nuclear programme is not safe under President Asif Ali Zardari's leadership. I will talk about this in detail at the next public gathering in Karachi. — Shah Mehmood Qureshi, former foreign minister