WASHINGTON, Nov 20: Admiral Michael Mullen, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Tuesday that the emergency had not affected military to military relations between Pakistan and the United States.

His comments came hours after the Pentagon announced plans to nearly double its funding to train and equip Pakistan’s Frontier Corps.

According to a Pentagon spokesman, the US Department of Defence has asked to spend $97 million in support of the Pakistani paramilitary force in 2008, nearly double the amount for this year.

Admiral Mullen told a briefing at Washington’s Foreign Press Centre that from a military standpoint, he had not seen any effect of the emergency on bilateral relations.

“The military to military contact still continues and I see no problem there,” he said.“We continue to get the logistic support that we were getting for operations in Afghanistan. What goes through Pakistan, no interruptions there as well.” The admiral said he did not believe in ‘speculating what if’, when asked how would the US respond if the situation in Pakistan deteriorated and the militants got hold of the country’s nuclear weapons.

“It is certainly part of my understanding that those weapons are safe. We are sure that they are secure,” he said.

The United States, however, was ‘mindful and watchful’ about the dangers of weapons of mass destruction falling in the wrong hands anywhere in the world, the admiral said.

“It would be a huge, huge challenge for all of us if those weapons were to fall in the hands of the terrorists.”

Mr Morrell said the Pentagon had proposed building a centre in the NWFP for training paramilitary troops. Smaller surveillance centres will also be built along the Afghan border to monitor the movement of militants.

The Pentagon is also requesting additional funds to help purchase equipment for the Frontier Corps — including helmets, bullet-proof vests, and night-vision goggles.

Mr Morrell said the Pentagon would not try to proceed with a plan to support Pakistan’s Frontier Corps unless there was some degree of confidence in Washington that the results would be fruitful.

He described the support programme as a joint venture with Pakistan’s government. Pakistan will provide Frontier Corps fighters with tanks and guns so they can take a lead role next year in any fighting within the tribal regions — allowing Pakistan’s army to take a more supporting role.