<div align="justify">Pakistan has developed short-range nuclear weapons to counter the 'Cold Start' doctrine of the Indian Army, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said today.<br /><br />On his maiden visit to the US as Pakistan prime minister, Abbasi also said that Pakistan's nuclear arsenal was safe and secure.<br /><br />On the assertion that Pakistan has the fastest growing nuclear arsenal in the world, Abbasi said: "As far as tactical nuclear weapons (are concerned), we do not have any field tactical nuclear weapons."<br /><br />"We have developed short-range nuclear weapons as a counter to the Cold Start doctrine that India has developed. Again, those are in the same command-and-control authority that controls the other strategic weapons," Abbasi said in response to a question at the Council on Foreign Relations, a top American think-tank.<br /><br />'Cold Start doctrine' was developed by the Indian Army for a possible war with Pakistan. This doctrine involves various branches of the Army conducting offensive operations as part of unified battle groups.<br /><br />The doctrine intends to allow India's conventional forces to perform holding attacks to prevent nuclear retaliation from Pakistan in case of a conflict.<br /><br />"We have a very robust and secure command-and-control system over our strategic nuclear assets. Time has proved that it's a process that is very secure. It's a process that has complete civilian oversight through the NCA," Abbasi said.<br /><br />The Nuclear Command Authority (NCA) of Pakistan is responsible for command, control and operational decisions regarding the country's nuclear arsenals.<br /><br />Abbasi said that the command-and-control systems they have in place are as secure as anybody else's in the world.<br /><br />"The last 20 years are testament to that," Abbasi said in response to another question.<br /><br />"So let there be no doubt that any extremist element or somebody like that can gain control of fissile material or a nuclear weapon. There is just no possibility of that. And it's time-tested, and it's a very secure system that has been put in place," he said.<br /><br />"Pakistan is a responsible global citizen, and we've shown a responsibility on the ground with this huge war on terror that we've been fighting for the last 15 years," Abbasi said.<br /><br />The Pakistan premier sought to dispel the notion surrounding the country's inability to handle its nuclear programmes properly.<br /><br />"We do have nuclear capability. There's no doubt about that. And we know how to handle nuclear waste. We had a nuclear programme in the early '60s, one of the first countries in Asia to have a nuclear programme. So if we've managed it for over 50-odd years, I think we can continue to manage it," he said.</div>
<div align="justify">Pakistan has developed short-range nuclear weapons to counter the 'Cold Start' doctrine of the Indian Army, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said today.<br /><br />On his maiden visit to the US as Pakistan prime minister, Abbasi also said that Pakistan's nuclear arsenal was safe and secure.<br /><br />On the assertion that Pakistan has the fastest growing nuclear arsenal in the world, Abbasi said: "As far as tactical nuclear weapons (are concerned), we do not have any field tactical nuclear weapons."<br /><br />"We have developed short-range nuclear weapons as a counter to the Cold Start doctrine that India has developed. Again, those are in the same command-and-control authority that controls the other strategic weapons," Abbasi said in response to a question at the Council on Foreign Relations, a top American think-tank.<br /><br />'Cold Start doctrine' was developed by the Indian Army for a possible war with Pakistan. This doctrine involves various branches of the Army conducting offensive operations as part of unified battle groups.<br /><br />The doctrine intends to allow India's conventional forces to perform holding attacks to prevent nuclear retaliation from Pakistan in case of a conflict.<br /><br />"We have a very robust and secure command-and-control system over our strategic nuclear assets. Time has proved that it's a process that is very secure. It's a process that has complete civilian oversight through the NCA," Abbasi said.<br /><br />The Nuclear Command Authority (NCA) of Pakistan is responsible for command, control and operational decisions regarding the country's nuclear arsenals.<br /><br />Abbasi said that the command-and-control systems they have in place are as secure as anybody else's in the world.<br /><br />"The last 20 years are testament to that," Abbasi said in response to another question.<br /><br />"So let there be no doubt that any extremist element or somebody like that can gain control of fissile material or a nuclear weapon. There is just no possibility of that. And it's time-tested, and it's a very secure system that has been put in place," he said.<br /><br />"Pakistan is a responsible global citizen, and we've shown a responsibility on the ground with this huge war on terror that we've been fighting for the last 15 years," Abbasi said.<br /><br />The Pakistan premier sought to dispel the notion surrounding the country's inability to handle its nuclear programmes properly.<br /><br />"We do have nuclear capability. There's no doubt about that. And we know how to handle nuclear waste. We had a nuclear programme in the early '60s, one of the first countries in Asia to have a nuclear programme. So if we've managed it for over 50-odd years, I think we can continue to manage it," he said.</div>