ISLAMABAD: Noted American journalist Seymour Hersh has dispelled the impression created by his recent article in the New Yorker magazine that there was an agreement between Pakistan and the United States on the nuclear weapons issue, and instead has claimed that an ‘informal understanding’ existed between the Chairman US Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen and Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani over the safety of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal.

In an interview with DawnNews TV’s flagship programme Newseye, Mr Hersh took pains to clarify that he had never talked about any formal agreement in his article as, according to him, he knew it would be immediately denounced and criticised.

The article in the US magazine stirred a major controversy in the country and promoted the US embassy in Islamabad and Pakistan’s foreign office to reject Mr Hersh’s claim as false.

It was followed by a strong denunciation by Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, General Tariq Majid, who ridiculed the claim and the impression of Americans having any knowledge or information regarding Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal.

Mindful of the reaction, Mr Hersh told DawnNews that the United States had a great deal of respect for Pakistan Army and wanted the country to improve control over its nuclear arsenal.

Citing Admiral Mullen’s statement before a House Committee, he said the United States had invested a significant amount to help Pakistan improve its control over the nuclear weapons.

Repeating the words he had used in his article as well, he said the threat to the nuclear weapons was not only from the militants, but also from a mutiny.

He said there were fears that extremists inside the Pakistan military could stage a coup and take control of some nuclear assets.

About the threat from militants, he referred to the recent attack on General Headquarters and other incidents depicting a surge in violence.

He said over the past few years, warheads had been separated from delivery system. He claimed that the components were moved to a safer place by trucks.

Though Mr Hersh has not used the word ‘agreement’ in his article, but citing former and current officials said the Obama administration had been negotiating highly sensitive negotiations with the Pakistani military, which would allow specially trained American units to provide added security for the Pakistani arsenal in case of a crisis.