WASHINGTON - Pakistan military competence and ability to protect the countrys sensitive installations in the wake of Mehran naval bases siege have been called into question by major US newspapers which have also raised concerns over the safety of its nuclear weapons. That a small group of Pakistani Taliban militants could find and exploit a weak spot to enter the Mehran Naval Station in Karachi, and then fight off troops for 17 hours, raises new questions about the militarys preparedness, The Los Angeles Times said in a dispatch on Tuesday. The New York Times wrote: Pakistans military, which was just initiating efforts to rebuild its credibility after (Osama bin Laden) episode, and preparing for possible retaliatory raids by the Taliban or affiliates of al-Qaeda, insisted that its bases especially those containing nuclear weapons were highly secure. There is no evidence that any nuclear weapons were kept in the bases arsenal, though they are believed to be stored in large numbers about 15 miles away. The criticism was focused on the chief of the Pakistani Navy. Journalists and retired service members repeatedly questioned Naval Chief Admiral Nauman Bashir for denying that there was a major security lapse, the Times said in a dispatch from Islamabad. The urgent questioning on all of Pakistani news channels was an indication of the shock that the attack on Karachi naval base caused around the country, still reeling from the discovery of bin Laden. The discussions raise further questions about the ability of Pakistans military establishment to safeguard its vital assets and nuclear installations, the dispatch said. The Pakistani military has come under unusual criticism for allowing bin Laden to live for five years in Abbottabad, a small city that is home to a top military academy, and the latest attack was seen as more proof of the parlous state of the armed forces. The breach is likely to raise worries among leaders in the US and EU about 100 nuclear weapons of the state.