FO slams ex-US NSA, Indian defence minister on nuclear weapons security remarks

• Pakistan remains fully confident in nuclear security regime. 
• World should be "more concerned" about India’s nuclear arsenal. 
• Congress calls for Amit Shah to be held accountable.

KARACHI: Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has censured former US national security adviser John Bolton after he raised doubts about the security of Pakistan's nuclear weapons and echoed Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s statement on the same subject.

Responding to questions from the media, the Foreign Office Spokesperson said in a statement on Thursday that Pakistan remains fully confident in the strength of its comprehensive nuclear security regime and the robustness of its command and control structures, The News reported.

The announcement followed Bolton's expression of long-standing US "concerns" regarding the security of Pakistan's nuclear weapons, in an interview with the Indian news agency ANI. 

Speaking about previous diplomatic encounters, he stated: “Since I served in the George W Bush administration during the 9/11 and went with the then secretary of state Colin Powell to Pakistan and then to India, one of the subjects that Colin Powell raised specifically with then-Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf was how secure Pakistan’s nuclear capabilities were."

"It has always remained a concern... the risk of these nuclear weapons falling into the hands of terrorists or irresponsible commanders making their own decisions about using nuclear weapons would be very dangerous."

During a visit to Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, India's defence minister had earlier questioned Pakistan's reliability as nuclear power and urged the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to step in. He questioned whether nuclear weapons held by what he called a "rogue and irresponsible nation" are safe.

Pakistan has rejected these remarks as hypocritical and politically driven. “It is ironic that John Bolton’s remarks were prompted by a statement from Rajnath Singh — a leader affiliated with a Hindu extremist organisation, known for repeatedly issuing threats of aggression against Pakistan”, the Foreign Office said. 

“In reality, the international community should be more concerned about India’s nuclear arsenal being controlled by individuals like Rajnath Singh, who harbor well-documented hostility toward Pakistan and Muslims, and exhibit dangerous delusions of grandeur.”

Concerns about India's own nuclear safeguards are becoming more widespread both domestically and internationally, the Foreign Office added.

“The escalating radicalisation of India’s political landscape, media and segments of its society raises legitimate nuclear security concerns. These concerns are further exacerbated by the persistence of a nuclear black market in India, highlighting serious deficiencies in its nuclear security framework — as evidenced by recurring incidents of theft and illicit trafficking of sensitive nuclear materials.”

Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has meanwhile directly accused Pakistan of orchestrating cross-border terrorism and rejected claims by US President Donald Trump that Washington brokered the recent ceasefire between India and Pakistan.

During his visit to the Netherlands, Jaishankar spoke with Dutch media and once again accused Pakistan — without providing any evidence — of terror attacks, asking Islamabad to “stop pretending Pakistan is not involved in terrorist attacks on India.”