CLINTON FEARS PAK N-BOMBERS

WASHINGTON: Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has expressed concern over the possibility of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons falling into the hands of jihadis, which she said was “a threatening scenario”.

“Pakistan is running full speed to develop tactical nukes in their continuing hostility with India,” Clinton told a closed-door fundraiser in Virginia in February, The New York Times reported, citing a 50-minute audio hacked from the Democratic Party’s computers.

“But we live in fear that they’re going to have a coup, that jihadists are going to take over the government, they’re going to get access to nuclear weapons, and you’ll have suicide nuclear bombers. So, this could not be a more threatening scenario,” the daily quoted the presidential nominee as saying in the audio that appeared on The Washington Free Beacon website.

Responding to a question on modernisation of nuclear weapons during the fundraiser, Clinton went beyond the question to warn of an emerging nuclear arms race, naming Russia and China as well as Pakistan and India, the daily said.

“This is one of the most dangerous developments imaginable,” Clinton said.

Such remarks from the former secretary of state gain significance in view of an interview of Pakistani defence minister Khwaja Muhammad Asif to the Samaa TV channel in which he threatened to annihilate India with nukes if the country’s survival was jeopardised.