An outside view of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad. — Twitter/File


An outside view of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad. — Twitter/File

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Saturday handed a demarche to US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome following President Joe Biden’s “misleading” remarks over Islamabad’s nuclear programme, sources told Geo News.

The ministry informed the envoy of Pakistan’s stance, the sources said, adding that Ambassador Blome has also been asked to seek an explanation from the US president for his statement.

The US ambassador has also been informed that Pakistan’s atomic assets are safe, sources added. 

The development comes after Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly protested against Biden’s controversial remarks.

‘Factually incorrect and misleading’

The prime minister, in a statement earlier today, said: “Pakistan rejects the remarks reportedly made by the US President, which are factually incorrect and misleading,” 

PM Shehbaz said over the past decades, Pakistan has proven to be the most responsible nuclear state, wherein its nuclear programme is managed through a technically sound and foolproof command and control system.

He added that Pakistan has also consistently demonstrated responsible stewardship of its nuclear-weapons capability, marked by a very strong commitment to global standards, including those of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on non-proliferation, safety, and security.

The prime minister said that the real threat to international peace and security is posed by ultra-nationalism, violation of human rights in regions that are struggling against illegal occupation, violation of global norms by some states, and repeated nuclear security incidents.

Arms race among leading nuclear weapon states and the introduction of new security constructs that disturb the regional balance also pose a threat to peace, he said.

PM Shehbaz said that Pakistan and the US have a long history of a friendly and mutually beneficial relationship and it was imperative that the ties remain unhindered.

“At a time, when the world is confronted by huge global challenges, it is critically important that genuine and durable efforts are made to recognize the real potential of the Pakistan-US relationship while avoiding unnecessary comments,” he said.

The prime minister said that it was Pakistan’s sincere desire to cooperate with the US to promote regional peace and security.


More to follow 

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