New Delhi: Expressing concern over the safety
of Pakistan`s nuclear arsenal, India on Wednesday said it didn`t know
for "how long and how far" Islamabad would be able to
safeguard its strategic assets.
"I think the internal security situation in Pakistan
seems to be deteriorating everyday and we really don`t know
how long and how far the establishment would adequately be
able to safeguard its strategic assets such as the nuclear
assets," Minister of State for Defence M M Pallam Raju said
when asked about the possibility of Pakistani nuclear weapons
falling into Taliban`s hands.
"I hope they are taking adequate measures and we hope
that such an incident will not happen," he added.
In the recent past, Taliban militants have targeted a
military base linked to Pakistani nuclear facilities.
On reports about the construction of a dam by China on
Brahmaputra river in its territory, the minister said, "I
think we are talking to China about sharing all kinds of
hydrological data including whatever they are doing on the
rivers. They have cooperated to a certain extent."
"We are trying to see that more information is
forthcoming from the Chinese government in order to ensure
that our lower riverine rights are not affected," Raju said.
Asked if India was also planning to develop space-based
capabilities in view of Chinese plans to deploy its assets
there, Raju said, "Space-based assets will definitely form the
front-line capability in future warfare. When I talk about
space-based assets, it is about satellites and navigation
systems, and these will be increasingly used."
The minister added that the Indian armed forces were also
working towards utilising communications and other
capabilities of space-based assets for greater effectiveness
in warfare.
Bureau Report
