WASHINGTON, Sept 3: While US intelligence agencies spend billions of dollars on monitoring enemies like Al Qaeda and Iran, they pay just as much attention to ally Pakistan, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday. The United States has intensified surveillance of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons, is concerned about biological and chemical arms sites there and tries to evaluate the loyalty of Pakistani counter-terrorism agents recruited by the CIA, the Post said.

It quoted a 178-page summary of what it called the US intelligence community’s “black budget” and said the documents were provided by fugitive intelligence leaker Edward Snowden.

The paper said the documents revealed broad new levels of mistrust in an already fragile security partnership.

Pakistan’s foreign ministry reacted by saying it was fully committed to “objectives of disarmament and non-proliferation” and followed International Atomic Energy Agency standards.

“As a nuclear weapons state, Pakistan’s policy is characterised by restraint and responsibility,” it said in a statement, adding: “Pakistan has established extensive physical protection measures, robust command and control institutions... comprehensive and effective export controls regulatory regimes to ensure safety and security of nuclear installations and materials.”

The Foreign Office spokesman said Pakistan’s nuclear deterrence capability was aimed at maintaining regional stability in South Asia.

The Washington Post said US efforts to gather intelligence on Pakistan were more extensive than previously disclosed by US officials. America has delivered nearly $26 billion in aid to Pakistan over the past 12 years, with the money aimed at stabilising the country and ensuring its cooperation in counter-terrorism efforts, according to the paper.

But now that Osama bin Laden is dead and Al Qaeda is weaker, US spy agencies appear to be shifting their attention to dangers that have surfaced outside Pakistani areas patrolled by CIA drones.—Agencies