Pak's N-assets may fall into wrong hands, fears PM By P. Parameswaran in Washington Thursday, 21 July , 2005, 08:53 Prime Minister Manmohan Singh warned of "serious" consequences if Islamic militants grabbed power in Pakistan and took control of its nuclear weapons arsenal.
Singh, wrapping up a four-day visit to the United States on Wednesday, said the Al Qaeda terror network led by Osama bin Laden had a key base in Pakistan and that there was always the risk of Islamic militants seizing power in Pakistan.
In an interview with the CNN broadcasting network, the 72-year-old leader said that he was worried about the security of Pakistan's nuclear assets should President Pervez Musharraf be replaced.
"Well, the security of (nuclear) assets which are under control of Pakistan, I think does worry us. And I hope that credible solutions can be found today with that problem," Singh said.
Asked what specifically worried him about the nuclear weapons, he said, "Well, if they get into the hands of the jihadi element, that could pose a serious problem. I hope that this does not happen. And I pray that it will not happen."
On whether he was concerned that Islamic extremists in Pakistan could take charge, Singh said: "There is always a danger. And we would like Pakistan to emerge as a moderate Islamic state, and we have a vested interest in the stability and progress in Pakistan."
Singh was also asked whether bin Laden and Al Qaeda still had a "significant base" in Pakistan. "Well, I think there's no doubt about this," he said.
Singh, who also spoke at the National Press Club in Washington, said India devised its nuclear programme "because in the region that we live, we saw that there was reckless proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in our neighbourhood, which posed serious threat to our security.
"Therefore we had to take necessary preventive measures. What we have is a nuclear weapons doctrine which lays emphasis on critical minimum deterrence," he said.
Singh was referring to Pakistan, where A Q Khan, a national hero known as the father of Pakistan's bomb, ran a network smuggling nuclear weapons technology. Singh also said that he might be forced to suspend peace efforts with Pakistan if it did not curb militant infiltrations into Kashmir.
"I as the Prime Minister of a democracy cannot move ahead of Indian public opinion if acts of terrorism are not under control -- that certainly affects my ability to push forward the process of normalising our relations with Pakistan," he said.
Singh spoke after a car bomb claimed by Islamic militants exploded in Srinagar early on Wednesday, killing four soldiers and a civilian and injuring 21 other people. The blast came as the Indian army reported a rise in militant infiltration into Kashmir.
Asked whether he trusted Musharraf, Singh said, "I do trust. But I think there is an old saying of (former US) President (Ronald) Reagan: Trust and verify. And I sincerely hope that the commitments that Pakistan has made, that the territory of Pakistan will not be allowed to be used for planning terrorist acts against India, is honoured in letter and in spirit.
The highlight of Singh's US trip was a nuclear co-operation deal with the United States, seen as a major shift in Washington's policy. President George W Bush said he would ask Congress and allied nations to lift sanctions that prevent India access to civil nuclear technology. The sanctions were imposed after India's nuclear weapons tests.