July 09, 2006	Sunday	Jumadi-ul-Sani 12, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, July 7: Five standing committees of the two houses of parliament were given a ‘comprehensive’ briefing on the country’s nuclear programme on Friday.

The briefing covered topics of nuclear doctrine, technical details of strategic assets and expenses incurred on the nuclear programme since 1970s.

The closed-door briefing by Lt-Gen Khalid Kidwai, director-general of the Strategic Planning Division, was held at the Joint Staff Headquarters, Chaklala, and lasted about three and a half hours.

Talking to Dawn after the first-ever such briefing, Chairman of the Senate standing committee on defence and defence production Nisar A. Memon said members of the parliamentary committees were briefed on Pakistan’s position on the Nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and other nuclear accords.

He said that organisational details of the multi-layered Command and Control Authority were also shared with the parliamentary committees.

Mr Memon said the information about the range and payloads of the country’s missiles was also shared.

He declined to say anything when asked if details about how the Dr A.Q. Khan network was unearthed or if the US had exerted pressure on Pakistan to seek direct access to Dr Khan were also provided. He pointed out that it was an in-camera briefing. He, however, said that members of the five committees had asked many questions and Dr Khan’s name was mentioned in the questions and their answers.

According to Mr Memon, it was a comprehensive briefing, but some members of the opposition expressed dissatisfaction and said that many questions had been left unanswered. According to an official press release, members of the parliamentary committees, during the interactive session, discused different aspects of Pakistan’s security with particular reference to the country’s nuclear programme.

Lt-Gen Kidwai stresed that Pakistan’s strategic assets “will be preserved and protected through a transparent process”, and it was “imperative that elected representatives of the people of Pakistan were taken into confidence on such sensitive issues pertaining to national security”.

The briefing was attended by Federal Minister for Defence Rao Sikandar Iqbal, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Chairman National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Defence, Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Chairman Senate’s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Nisar A. Memon, Chairman Senate’s Standing Committe on Defence and Defence Production, Ms Fiza Junejo, Chairperson National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Defence Production, Hamid Nasir Chattha, Chairman Kashmir Committee, Mushtaq Victor, Minister of State for Minorities, Khusro Bakhtiar, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Aitzaz Ahsan MNA, Maulana Muhammad Khan Shirani MNA, Senator Maulana Samiul Haq, and about 50 senators and MNAs belonging to various political parties.