HILLARY RAISES SPECTRE OF PAK NUKE SUICIDE BOMBERS

US fears jihadist coup in Pakistan, nuclear arsenal falling into hands of extremists

Washington, Sept. 30: Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has expressed concern over the possibility of emergence of nuclear suicide bombers from Pakistan if jihadists get access to the country’s atomic weapons, the New York Times reported on Friday.

“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,” it quoted Ms Clinton as saying in an audio that was hacked from the Democratic Party’s computers.

“Pakistan is running full speed to develop tactical nukes in their continuing hostility with India,” the former secretary of state told a closeddoor fund-raiser in Virginia in February, the paper reported, citing the 50-minute audio that appeared on the website of The Washington Free Beacon.

During the fund-raiser, responding to a question on modernisation of nuclear weapons, the daily said that Ms Clinton went beyond the question to warn of an emerging nuclear arms race, naming Russia and China as well as Pakistan and India.

“This is one of the most dangerous developments imaginable,” Ms Clinton said. Such remarks from the former secretary of state gain significance in view of an interview of the Pakistani defence minister Khwaja Muhammad Asif to a local TV channel in which he threatened to unleash nukes against India.

The US took strong note of Mr Asif’s statements. “Nuclear capable states have the responsibility to exercise restraint regarding nuclear weapons and missile capabilities,” a state department official said when asked about the statements being made by the Pakistani leader.

Earlier, defence secretary Ashton Carter had said while India had generally shown responsible behaviour with nuclear technology and China conducted itself professionally, nuclear weapons in Pakistan were entangled in a history of tensions. — PTI

‘PAKISTAN IS RUNNING FULL SPEED TO DEVELOP TACTICAL NUKES IN THEIR CONTINUING HOSTILITY WITH INDIA’