Pakistan PM rejects President Biden’s statement as ‘factually incorrect, misleading’
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday rejected US President Joe Biden remarks on Pakistan’s nuclear weapons as factually incorrect and misleading’.
“Over the past decades, Pakistan has proven to be the most responsible nuclear state, wherein its nuclear programme is managed through a technically sound and foolproof command and control system,” a statement of the PM Office Media Wing quoted the prime minister as saying.
Pakistan had also consistently demonstrated responsible stewardship of its nuclear-weapon capability, marked by a very strong commitment to global standards, including those of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on non-proliferation, safety, and security, the statement said.
Separately, in a tweet, the prime minister reiterated that Pakistan ‘is a responsible nuclear state’ and no one should have any doubts in that regard.
Shehbaz said Pakistan’s nuclear assets had the best safeguards as per requirements of the IAEA. “We take these safety measures with the utmost seriousness. Let no one have any doubts,” the prime minister posted.
The real threat to the international peace and security was posed by ultra-nationalism, violation of human rights in the regions that were struggling against illegal occupation, violation of global norms by some states, repeated nuclear security incidents and arms race among the leading nuclear weapon states and introduction of new security constructs that disturbed the regional balance.
“Pakistan and the US have a long history of friendly and mutually beneficial relationship. At a time, when the world is confronted by huge global challenges, it is critically important that genuine and durable efforts are made to recognise the real potential of Pakistan-US relationship while avoiding unnecessary comments. It is our sincere desire to cooperate with the US to promote regional peace and security,” it added.