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Musharraf rejects nuke concerns
as Pakistan tests missile: army
AFP
Friday February 1, 2008
President Pervez Musharraf accused Pakistan's enemies on Friday
of spreading fears about the country's atomic weapons, as the
military test-fired a nuclear-capable missile, the army said.
Musharraf's comments came amid mounting concern in the West about
whether the politically unstable South Asian nation's estimated
50 warheads are safe from Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants.
"We have taken note of various imaginary scenarios being
propounded by those who do not wish Pakistan well. Such elements
have never reconciled to a nuclear Pakistan," an army statement
quoted Musharraf as saying.
(Article continues below)
Musharraf said Pakistan was capable of thwarting all threats
to its sovereignty and nuclear capability, and urged "such
elements" to be cautious, according to the statement.
He made the comments after witnessing the launch of the intermediate-range
Ghari (Hatf V) missile.
The missile, which has a range of 1,300 kilometers (807 miles),
was launched at the end of annual field training exercises.
Army chief Ashfaq Kiyani, who replaced Musharraf as head of the
military in November, senior military officers and scientists
also witnessed the test, the statement said.
Kiyani made similar comments at the launch of another missile
a week ago when he dismissed "unrealistic" fears that
Pakistan's nuclear warheads could fall into the wrong hands.
Musharraf congratulated the team behind the latest launch on
"achieving high standards of training and excellent results."
"The nation has developed a strong nuclear deterrence capability
and expects that officers and men entrusted with the task of deterring
aggression would continue to train hard and maintain professional
excellence," he said.
Pakistan and its regional rival India make frequent missile test
launches. The two countries have fought three wars since 1947
and carried out tit-for-tat nuclear test detonations in 1998.
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