RAWALPINDI, Jan 6: The National Command Authority headed by President Gen Pervez Musharraf is authorized to take a “unanimous decision” for using nuclear weapons unlike India where the prime minister has been given powers to take similar decisions.

Official sources said that Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali on Monday attended a special session of the NCA where he was informed that the Authority was empowered to take a joint decision to use nuclear weapons and not any individual, including the president.

The PM, who is also a member of the NCA, said that Pakistan’s nuclear programme under President Musharraf was very much safe and that there should be no confusion about that.

According to a handout issued by the ISPR, Mr Jamali dismissed as mischievous, motivated and highly irresponsible the recent spate of media allegations of leakages. Pakistan, he said, was a responsible nuclear power with an impeccable record of safety and security.

“We are not in any arms race with anyone but retention of minimum deterrence is a cornerstone of Pakistan’s National Security Policy,” he stated.

Mr Jamali expressed satisfaction over the effectiveness of the Command and Control Structures of the country’s nuclear capability. He said the structures, which had been in place for the last four years, were well-conceived and elaborated, and had matured.

The NCA has ensured that while “our nuclear assets and strategic forces were completely safe and secure, they continue to develop as per our minimum deterrence needs”.

The session was called by President Musharraf and was also attended by the foreign minister, Chairman Joint Chief of Staff Committee Gen Mohammad Aziz and the three services chiefs.