Swati Chaturvedi
New Delhi: The Cabinet committee on Security (CCS) is extremely worried about an ''eyes only'' Research & Analysis report that warns that the ''command and control'' structure of Pakistan's nuclear weapons falling in to the hands of what the report describes as the ''hardline jehadi'' elements rampant in Pakistan society
Authoritative sources told Zee News that earlier both Union Home Minister P Chidambaram and Union Minister for External Affairs S M Krishna had ''flagged'' the issue of Pakistan's nuclear weapons with the USA.
The report which comes from Islamabad is based on both ''humint'' and ''techmint'' (human intelligence and technical intelligence) and says that the weapons thought to carry limited payload are entirely in the hands of the Army the rapid ''jehadification'' of the Army is a serious cause of concern.
Separately, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) has also warned that the Taliban and even Osama Bin Laden are also eyeing Pakistan's nuclear weapons.
The report asks the CCS to take a joint view with the USA and wants the government to take it up at the appropriate levels with the US establishment as it says that the Pakistan nuclear weapons are a bigger threat than Iran's going the nuclear route.
A CCS member told Zee News, ''We have decided to take up the matter with the US government since it is a cause of grave concern. Pakistan Punjab Governor Salman Taseer's murder by his own security guard lays bear the cancer at the heart of Pakistan.''
First Published: Friday, January 07, 2011, 17:58