Pakistan says its nuclear weapons are secure

Retired Lt. Gen. Khalid Kidwai said his nation's nuclear security apparatus is "second to none," with a strictly controlled military chain of command, checks and balances, and monitoring of scientists and others with sensitive knowledge.

"There is no conceivable scenario that Pakistan's military weapons are going to fall into the hands of extremists," he told foreign journalists in a briefing at the Chaklala military garrison here. "The weapons are absolutely safe and secure."

Kidwai, who heads the Strategic Plans Division, which oversees Pakistan's nuclear program, acknowledged that officials had become more alert to threats posed from within the volatile South Asian nation, including political turmoil and a rising terrorist threat. Some international experts have questioned whether Pakistan's security is adequate to prevent nuclear material from falling into the hands of extremists.

The country was shaken by the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto last month, an attack that many here believe was carried out by government forces. The crime is under investigation, though officials have blamed Taliban militants. Meanwhile, the military has been battling Taliban and other Islamic extremists along the Afghan border.

President Pervez Musharraf, on an eight-day trip to Europe, has faced questions about Pakistan's nuclear program. He has said that the only way weapons could become endangered is if religious militants were to rout the army or come to power in elections. He said neither was "remotely possible."

Pakistan's nuclear question has been an issue in U.S. presidential debates. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton suggested that Pakistan's estimated 50 nuclear warheads should be safeguarded by a joint U.S.-British security team.

On Saturday, Kidwai said Pakistan's arsenal was in the safe hands of 10,000 soldiers who secure facilities and provide intelligence under a control system headed by top military and political leaders.

"We are capable of thwarting all types of threats, from insider, outsider, or a combination," he said.