Pakistan has decided to summon US Ambassador Donald Blome for demarche on US President Joe Biden’s comment about “dangerous Pakistan”, as the country stresses that its nuclear programme was safe.
“I have spoken with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the issue and decided to summon the US envoy,” Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said while addressing a press conference in Karachi on Saturday. “Questions regarding nuke safety should be asked to India.”
US President Joe Biden said on Friday that nuclear-armed Pakistan might be “one of the most dangerous nations in the world” while commenting on the country’s nuclear programme and the state of political dynamics in the region.
And what I think is maybe one of the most dangerous nations in the world: Pakistan,“ he was quoted as saying in a transcript of his address at a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Reception on Friday. “Nuclear weapons without any cohesion.”
The foreign minister said that he was “surprised” by Biden’s statements. “Pakistan’s nuclear programme is according to the International Atomic Energy Agency standards as far as security and safety are concerned,” he said and stressed that Pakistan knew how to protect nuke assets.
“This is not only irresponsible and unsafe but raises genuine and serious concerns about the safety of nuclear-capable countries,” Bilawal said, “I am surprised by the remarks of President Biden […] I believe this is exactly the sort of misunderstanding that is created when there is a lack of engagement.”
Bilawal was of the view that an opportunity should be allowed to the US to explain the position.
“I don’t believe it negatively impacts the relations between Pakistan and the US. We will continue on the positive trajectory of engagements we are having so far,” Bilawal said.
He added that Pakistan didn’t have any relation with Biden’s statement. “We will call their ambassador and give a demarche, but I don’t think this was an official function […] it wasn’t an address to the parliament or an interview.
“It was a fundraiser […] it was an untraditional conversation in which this sentence was used so it should be [looked at] in this manner, I think we will look at this statement in this way,” he explained.
Bilawal advised avoiding conspiracy theories, adding that the US and Pakistan have differences over many issues but as “responsible states” countries engage with each other on issues.
“We know how to protect Pakistan’s interest,” he said, “No threat of sanctions on Pakistan.”
He reiterated that if the problem related to nukes was so important it would have been raised during his engagements with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington. “No need to fear any conspiracy theories and our programme is safe.”
Bilawal said: “Pakistan is a responsible country. Our command, control system is according to world standards.”
