NWASHINGTON, Nov 7: A top Pentagon official on Wednesday said that the fate of Pakistan’s military arsenal was a “primary concern” after President Gen Pervez Musharraf imposed a state of emergency in the country.

Washington was keeping a close eye on Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal following the recent upheaval, said Lt-Gen Carter Ham, Director of Operations with the US Joint Chiefs of Staff.

“We will watch that very closely,” he told reporters.—AFP

Our Washington Correspondent adds: Meanwhile, the United States said on Wednesday that it was not reviewing Pakistan’s status as a major non-Nato ally despite the imposition of emergency rule in the country.Asked if the US was reviewing Pakistan’s status as a major non-Nato ally, spokesman Sean McCormack said: “I don’t think that is under consideration.”

Mr McCormack had told a similar briefing on Tuesday that the United States was reviewing all its assistance programmes for Pakistan to see which of these would be affected by President Pervez Musharraf’s decision to force an emergency rule in his country.