There were reports that Saudi Arabia has taken a “strategic decision” to acquire “off-the-shelf” nuclear arms from its close ally Pakistan. The government of Pakistan has rejected the reports as “baseless” any such move to sell atomic weapons. Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson Qazi Khalillulah said “Pakistan’s nuclear program is purely for its own legitimate self-defense and for maintaining a credible minimum deterrence”.
“Pakistan’s nuclear program is meant for its security and there is a strong command and control system over it. Pakistan is aware of its responsibilities as a nuclear state,” Khalillulah said. “All parties to the NPT have the right to peaceful uses of nuclear energy. This right has been granted to them by the Treaty. It is, therefore, not for me to comment on that”, he added.
“There has been an entirely baseless and mischievous campaign in the international media regarding Pakistan’s indigenous nuclear program,” said Foreign Office spokesperson Qazi Khalilullah. “The Sunday Times story appears to be part of that malevolent campaign and is utterly unfounded,” foreign office spokesperson Qazi Khalilullah added.
Pakistan has expressed concerns over the shelling from Yemen on Najran, a city in southwestern Saudi Arabia near the border with Yemen. “About 15,000 Pakistanis are living in Najran. We have requested the Saudi authorities to ensure their safety and they have assured us that all possible measures will be taken in this regard,” he added.
Rebuffing the report as mere “speculation”, a Saudi defense ministry official, said such reports were not new. “I don’t understand what the story is. This has been in the news for 18 years and will continue to be for the next 15 years.”
Regarding the alleged fake degree scandal involving Axact in Pakistan, Khalilullah said investigations are ongoing and everyone was looking forward to its outcome. “No country, including the United States, has conveyed concerns to Pakistan. It is not appropriate for me to say anything at this stage. Primarily, it is the subject of the interior ministry,” he added..
By Premji
