28 November 2004	Sunday	15 Shawwal 1425

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RAWALPINDI, Nov 27: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz reiterated the government's commitment to the nuclear and missile programme and said that Pakistan believed in retaining minimum deterrence as a cornerstone of its national security policy.

He said that as a responsible, declared and acknowledged nuclear power, Pakistan would continue to play a positive role in international efforts aimed at non-proliferation.

A press release issued here by ISPR said that the prime minister made these remarks during his visit to Strategic Plans Division, where he attended a briefing on the the nuclear programme.

He expressed complete satisfaction with the effectiveness of the command and control structures of Pakistan's nuclear capability. He said the structures, "which have now matured" since being in place for the last five years, were well conceived and elaborate. "They have ensured that while our nuclear assets were safe and secure, they continued to oversee force development as per our minimum deterrence needs," he said.