PR. No.281/2007

Date: 19/11/2007

NEW YORK TIMES STORY ON NUCLEAR COOPERATION

The New York Times of 18 November 2007 has published a story titled “US Secretly Aids Pakistan in Guarding Nuclear Arms”, which gives distorted and exaggerated picture of our efforts to learn from best practices of other countries with regard to their nuclear safety and export controls.

As a responsible nuclear weapon state Pakistan has always attached great significance to the security of its strategic assets. These assets are completely safe and secure under multi-layered security and Command and Control structures that are fully indigenous.

Nuclear security is an area in which it is in everyone's interest to ensure that the best possible procedures are in place. Even the most advanced states continue to upgrade their systems and benefit from the experience of other countries. Accordingly, Pakistan and the US have been engaged in mutually agreeable cooperation which is essentially in the nature of rudimentary training and ideas to strength security and surveillance. Similarly the equipment mentioned in the story for tracing nuclear material is of a basic nature and is needed to prevent smuggling of such materials from ports or other exit points. For the purpose of this cooperation, Pakistan 's red lines have always been clear which ensure that our control and safety procedures remain fully protected and secure.

Authorities in Pakistan , during their briefings to the media and the parliamentarians, in a spirit of openness, have already been talking about this matter and there is nothing sensational about the cooperation, as the New York Times story appears to imply.

Islamabad