WASHINGTON: United States (US) said that it had confidence in Pakistan’s ability to control its nuclear arsenal after President Joe Biden expressed alarm, leading Islamabad to summon US Ambassador.

“United States is confident of Pakistan’s commitment and its ability to secure its nuclear assets,” State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters.

“US has always viewed a secure and prosperous Pakistan as critical to US interests and more broadly, US values our long-standing cooperation with Pakistan,” he said.

Biden made off-the-cuff remarks on Pakistan’s nuclear programme while at a private Democratic Party fundraiser in California where he began to discuss challenges facing President Xi Jinping of China, a close ally of Pakistan. “And what I think is maybe one of most dangerous nations in world: Pakistan. Nuclear weapons without any cohesion,” Biden said, according to a White House transcript. Pakistan proud to be only declared nuclear power in Islamic world summoned US Ambassador Donald Blome to lodge a protest.

Published in The Daily National Courier, October, 18 2022

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