By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Top military brass on Monday issued a strong caveat against irresponsible comments ons the country’s nuclear arsenal, a message most probably meant for ex prime minister Imran Khan for a political jibe about the safety of the country’s deterrence against the nuclear-armed India.
“As a norm in other nuclear-capable nations, unnecessary and unfounded views on the strategic programme should be avoided,” General Nadeem Raza, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) was quoted as saying by the ISPR (Inter-Services Public Relations), the military’s media wing.
According to the ISPR, General Raza said this while delivering a keynote address at a seminar on “Regional Environment and Imperatives of Security” at the NUST Institute of Policy Studies (NIPS).
“When necessary, NCA (National Command Authority) is the right forum to issue specific responses or views,” the CJCSC said.
Khan, in an interview to a local TV channel last week, warned that if the country’s economic crisis escalated, the all mighty military would not be immune to it and the world powers might pressure it to denuclearise.
Addressing a public rally, the firebrand former cricketer, whose government was dislodged by the opposition through a no-trust vote in April, said Pakistan’s nuclear weapons were unsafe under the leadership of new Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Later in May, Khan who believes military has a hand in his ouster, said, “dropping an atomic bomb would have been better” for Pakistan than bringing in PMLN-led government.
The CJCSC is also the Deputy Chairman of the NCA that superintends the operational command and control of the nuclear firepower of the country that is neighbours with India, a formidable atomic-powered foe.
Commenting on the regional security environment, General Raza reiterated the significance of Pakistan’s nuclear capability as the guarantor of deterrence and defence of the motherland.
“Pakistan’s nuclear programme enjoys across-the board-support of all political parties and the people of Pakistan. The NCA, with all its political and military leadership, stands firm for the strategic program,” the general said.
He asserted that national security was indivisible and assured that under no circumstances shall Pakistan allow a compromise on its nuclear programme.
“Pakistan is a confident and responsible nuclear power. It pursues the policy of full spectrum deterrence within the precincts of credible minimum deterrence. The country’s national security and safety architecture meets all national and international obligations and caters for all kinds of scenarios,” he added.
Students, academics and distinguished experts from different parts of the country were in the audience.
ISPR Director-General Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar also responded to Khan’s remarks that the nuclear weapons were unsafe under the current government in April, the month Khan’ government came to an embarrassing end.
“As far as our political leadership is concerned, the nuclear assets are not affiliated with any particular political leadership. Since Pakistan’s nuclear weapon has been started, all the governments that have come, have worked with all their loyalty… and helped it get where we are today,” the ISPR DG had said adding, “This is the reason that our command and control mechanism and our assets’ security is one of the best systems in the international evaluation”.
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