New Delhi: Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari summoned US ambassador after President Joe Biden questioned the safety of the country’s nuclear programme.
At a recent Democratic congressional campaign committee reception, Biden said that Pakistan may be “one of the most dangerous nations in the world,” as the “country has nuclear weapons without any cohesion.” “And what I think is maybe one of the most dangerous nations in the world: Pakistan. Nuclear weapons without any cohesion,” a White House statement quoted the President as saying.
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said he was surprised by the remarks.
“As far as the question of the safety and security of Pakistan’s nuclear assets are concerned, we meet all – each and every – international standard in accordance with the IAEA,” he said at a press conference on Saturday.
Pakistan is a responsible nuclear state that is perfectly capable of safeguarding its national interest whilst respecting international law and practices. Our nuclear program is in no way a threat to any country. Like all independent states,
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— Nawaz Sharif (@NawazSharifMNS) October 15, 2022
According to Bhutto-Zardari, he didn’t think the decision to summon the US ambassador would negatively affect the relations with the United States, and said that the officials could address any specific concerns Washington had on the nuclear programme.
Notably, a transcript of Biden’s speech was published by the White House on its website.
The foreign minister further said that worries about Pakistan’s nuclear programme were not raised on his recent trip to Washington, where he had held extensive meetings, including at the State Department.
It is to be noted that relation between Islamabad and Washington, once close allies, have just started to warm after some years of frosty ties, mostly due to concerns about Pakistan’s alleged support of the Taliban in Afghanistan. However, Pakistan has denied this alleged support.
