President rejects nuke concerns
By Our Defence Correspondent

RAWALPINDI—President Pervez Musharraf has said that nation has developed a strong nuclear deterrence capability and Pakistan Armed Forces are a highly professional, motivated and well trained force and are capable of safeguarding Pakistan’s security against all types of threat.
He expressed these views while addressing the troops at the Exercise area where Strategic Missile Group (SMG) of Pakistan Army’s Strategic Force Command (ASFC) Friday conducted a successful training launch of Ghauri (Hatf V) Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM).
The launch was conducted at the conclusion of annual field training exercises of a Ghauri Missile Group. ASFC is currently engaged in its winter collective training, wherein, every operationalised SMG is practised in tactical and live firing exercises. The Ghauri IRBM has a range of 1300 kms. It may be recalled that Shaheen-I SMG had also conducted a training launch recently. The field launch exercise of ASFC was witnessed by President Pervez Musharraf, Chief of the Army Staff, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, senior military officers and scientists. Addressing the troops in the exercise area, the President congratulated them on achieving high standards of training and excellent results.
He said that the nation has developed a strong nuclear deterrence capability and expects that officers and men entrusted with the task of deterring aggression would continue to train hard and maintain professional excellence. He said that Pakistan Armed Forces are a highly professional, motivated and well trained force and are capable of safeguarding Pakistan’s security against all types of threat. He said that he is extremely pleased to see ASFC emerge as a well trained and cohesive force in a very short span of time. All needs for the strategic capability as per Pakistan’s minimum deterrence requirements will be met by the nation, he added.
The President said that we have taken note of various imaginary scenarios being propounded by those who do not wish Pakistan well. Such elements have never reconciled to a nuclear Pakistan. He said that Pakistan is capable of thwarting all threats to its sovereignty and to the nuclear capability. He therefore advised caution to such elements. President Pervez Musharraf accused Pakistan’s enemies of spreading fears about the country’s atomic weapons, as the military test-fired a nuclear-capable missile, the army said.
Musharraf’s comments came amid mounting concern in the West about whether the politically unstable South Asian nation’s estimated 50 warheads are safe from Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants. “We have taken note of various imaginary scenarios being propounded by those who do not wish Pakistan well. Such elements have never reconciled to a nuclear Pakistan,” an army statement quoted Musharraf as saying.
Musharraf said Pakistan was capable of thwarting all threats to its sovereignty and nuclear capability, and urged “such elements” to be cautious, according to the statement. He made the comments after witnessing the launch of the intermediate-range Ghari (Hatf V) missile. The missile, which has a range of 1,300 kilometers (807 miles), was launched at the end of annual field training exercises.
Army chief Ashfaq Kiyani, who replaced Musharraf as head of the military in November, senior military officers and scientists also witnessed the test, the statement said.