Islamabad: Pakistan has emphatically stated that its nuclear program is purely for its legitimate self-defense and maintenance of credible minimum deterrence.
At his weekly news briefing in Islamabad today, Foreign Office Spokesperson Qazi Khalilullah strongly rejected media reports that Saudi Arabia wants to acquire nuclear weapons from Pakistan. He said there is no Pakistan-Saudi nuclear deal.
Qazi Khalilullah pointed out that there has been an entirely baseless and mischievous campaign in the international media about Pakistan’s indigenous nuclear program. He said the story carried by the Sunday Times on Pakistan’s nuclear program appears to be part of that campaign and is utterly unfounded.
The spokesperson clarified that Pakistan has a robust command and control structure and comprehensive export controls. He said Pakistan supports objectives of non-proliferation as well as nuclear safety and security.
Khalilullah confirmed the agreement between Pakistan’s premier intelligence agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Afghan intelligence outfit National Directorate of Security (NDS) aimed at bolstering fight against terrorism.
He said the accord between the two agencies was part of a bilateral agreement on security and counterterrorism.
On the Yemen issue, the spokesperson said Pakistan is and will remain in touch with Saudi Arabia on the issue. He said we have already expressed our concerns over shelling from Yemen on Najran in Saudi Arabia. He said about fifteen thousand Pakistanis are living there and we have requested the Saudi authorities to ensure their security. He expressed the confidence that Saudi Arabia will make all possible arrangements for the safety of Pakistanis.
When asked about relations with India, the spokesperson said Islamabad is committed to good relations with all neighbors including India. He said Pakistan desires peace and stability in the region and will continue to play its role in this regard.
He said Pakistan is cooperating with the international community to root out terrorism from the region and the world.
To a question, Qazi Khalilullah said Pakistan wants an Afghan led and Afghan owned reconciliation process and is extending all possible cooperation to Kabul in that regard. He said Pakistan and Afghanistan are cooperating in different sectors including the intelligence sharing
When asked whether the United States has raised concerns over the issuance of fake degrees by a Pakistani company, the spokesperson said no country including the United States has raised concerns with Pakistan. He said everybody is looking forward for investigation into the scandal.
