ISLAMABAD, Aug 13: The Foreign Office on Monday downplayed reports that the US intelligence agencies knew about the exact location of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons. “We look at these reports as speculative, essentially meant to add spice to the oft repeated tendentious refrain and claims that go around. There is no truth in them,” Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam told a weekly news briefing.
Responding to a question, Ms Aslam said: “We have made it very clear that we will maintain credible minimum deterrence. For deterrence to be credible it has to be upgraded and maintained.”
RICE CALL: Asked whether it was within acceptable diplomatic protocol for US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to telephone President Gen Pervez Musharraf in the middle of the night and if she had gone through the Foreign Office, the spokesperson said: “There are no direct calls to the president by an outsider. These calls are routed either through our embassies or through the ministry of foreign affairs. These calls are fixed after checking the president’s availability and inclination to receive calls.”
Asked if the Pakistani foreign minister could also make a call to President Bush at midnight, Ms Aslam said: “Well, it depends on President Bush and if he is ready to receive the call.”
On the upcoming visit of US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher, she said: “The US working level officials continue visiting Pakistan from time to time and that is part of the process of building up this relationship.”
About Pakistan’s vision of its relationship with India in the next 60 years, she said: “Our vision of Pakistan in the next 60 years is peace, prosperity and good relations with all countries, particularly in our neighbourhood.”
On the decision of the Pakistan-Afghanistan peace jirga to establish a council of 50 notables, 25 from each country to pursue dialogue with opponents, she noted: “This recognises the fact that reconciliation in Afghanistan is needed and it can be undertaken.”
To another query, she said the Taliban were Afghans and not living in North Waziristan. She disagreed with the contention that the insurgency in Afghanistan was being sustained from Pakistan.—Q.A.