WASHINGTON - The Obama Administration has exuded confidence about the safety and security of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons in the wake of political turmoil inside the country.
“We are confident that all of these issues are managed well,” Undersecretary of State for Arms Control Ellen Tauscher told Washington-based Defence Writers Group. “The administration is very clear that we work very closely with our Pakistani allies. At their requests and at our offering we work closely on issues of nuclear security,” Tauscher said in response to a question on the security of nuclear weapons in Pakistan. The Under Secretary said that safety and security of nuclear weapons and materials is an issue of concern for global leaders. “This is the reason why the (US) President (Barack) Obama had such a success (on Nuclear Security Summit),” she said adding that the next one is being scheduled for March in Seoul.
Recently, a study has ranked Pakistan’s nuclear facilities the second- least secure after that of North Korea.
The index compiled by the Nuclear Threat Initiative project led by former US senator Sam Nunn and the Economist Intelligence Unit aims to highlight the security of the world’s nuclear facilities.