WASHINGTON, Feb 7: The United States is working with Pakistan to protect its nuclear technology from falling into the hands of extremists, a senior US official said on Friday. "We have had discussions with Pakistan on the need for Pakistan to safeguard its technology and its nuclear material. We are confident they are taking necessary steps," he told Reuters.

The official commented after NBC Television's Nightly News programme reported that since 9/11, American nuclear experts grouped as the 'US Liaison Committee' had spent millions of dollars to safeguard more than 40 weapons in Pakistan's nuclear arsenal.

"Meeting every two months, they are helping Pakistan develop state-of-the-art security, including secret authorization codes for the arsenal," the network reported.

But the US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that American law and the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty "prevent any direct involvement with (Pakistan's) nuclear weapons."

"So we've had discussions with them generally about how they safeguard nuclear material," he said.

"We don't want their materials to get into the wrong hands but (we) won't go over the edge of our law and the NPT," he said.

Since the 1998 nuclear tests by India and Pakistan, US officials and experts have debated the extent to which they can provide advice to the two countries about safeguarding their nuclear technology.

Neither country is a member of the NPT and hence is not entitled to any assistance that might advance their nuclear weapons capability.-Reuters