Pakistan rejects Biden's remarks on country's nuclear assets, announces to deliver demarche

Pakistan rejects Biden's remarks on country's nuclear assets, announces to deliver demarche

Foreign Minister Bilawal says Pakistan's nuclear program is in safe hands, calling US president's remarks 'strange'

By Kiran Butt

LAHORE, Pakistan (AA) –Pakistan said on Saturday that US Ambassador to Islamabad Donald Blome will be summoned for a demarche over US President Joe Biden's remarks about Pakistan's nuclear weapons.

At a press conference in the southern port city of Karachi, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the US president's statement is "strange," and that he has discussed it with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Biden said on Thursday at a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee reception that Pakistan may be one of the most dangerous countries in the world because it acquires nuclear weapons without "cohesion."

The White House's official website later published his statement, which stated, "... what I think is maybe one of the most dangerous nations in the world: Pakistan. Nuclear weapons without any cohesion."

Bilawal said they will summon the US ambassador and issue a demarche.

He did, however, say Biden was speaking at a private event rather than in an official capacity. "He was speaking at a private fundraising event, not an official gathering or interview," he explained.

“I don’t believe it has a negative impact on the relations between Pakistan and the US. We will continue on the positive trajectory of engagements that we have so far,” said the foreign minister.

Pakistan’s nuclear program is in safe hands, and the country is a responsible state, he asserted.

"If there is any question about nuclear weapons, it should be with India," Bilawal said, referring to the March 9 incident in which India "accidentally" fired a BrahMos missile from Sirsa, Haryana state, which crashed into the Mian Channu area of Khanewal district in Pakistan's Punjab province.

Later in August, the Indian air force fired three officers.

Former Pakistani Prime Minister and Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan, as well as a well-known geopolitical analyst and former ambassador to the US Maleeha Lodhi, both strongly reacted to Biden's remarks.

Khan inquired as to what information President Biden had gathered to reach this conclusion about their nuclear capabilities.

“Having been a Prime Minister, I know we have one of the most secure nuclear command and control systems,” he wrote on Twitter.

He also criticized US policies, claiming that the country has been involved in wars all over the world.

Following his defeat in a vote of no confidence in the National Assembly in April of this year, the ex-premier has been quite vocal in his opposition to US policies.

He has also described his setback as an "international conspiracy" orchestrated by the US.

Earlier this year, his government handed over a demarche to the US Embassy in response to one of the US official's statements about Khan's government.

Lodhi also criticized the US president's remarks on Twitter, having written, “Totally gratuitous and unjustified comment about Pakistan's nukes. US President needs to be briefed by his officials. He seems ignorant about the safety/security of Pakistan’s nukes."


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