No talks on nuclear security: FO

ISLAMABAD – Pakistan has neither held talks with US officials on the issue of security of its nuclear arsenal nor it requires any foreign assistance in this regard.
“Pakistan’s nuclear assets are safe and secure. We, as a sovereign state, will never allow any country to have direct or indirect access to our nuclear and strategic facilities,” said Foreign Office (FO) Spokesman Abdul Basit in a statement issued here on Sunday.
Commenting on an article published in online edition of an American magazine, New Yorker, questioning safety of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, the FO Spokesman said that author of the article Seymour Hersh was known to write sensational stories premised in far-fetched and imaginary scenarios. “His latest article is no exception and is, therefore, strongly rejected,” he added.
“Seymour Hersh, yet again, betrays his well-known anti-Pakistan bias by making several false and highly irresponsible claims by quoting anonymous and unverifiable sources,” Basit said. He added that the article was thus nothing more than a concoction to tarnish the image of Pakistan and create misgivings among its people. “The multi-layered custodial controls, which have been developed indigenously, are as foolproof and effective as in any other nuclear state,” he maintained.