Local media of Pakistan reported on Thursday that the US non-proliferation watchdog said that Pakistan has also increased its score in Global Norms by 1 point because it subscribed to a nuclear security INFCIRC.
It said Pakistan improved its score by seven points and is the most improved country with weapons-usable nuclear materials. Its Security and Control Measures score increased by 25 points due to actions to strengthen its regulations.
Pakistan scores high (67-100) in Domestic Commitments and Capacity, medium (34-66) in both Security and Control Measures and Global Norms, and low (0-33) in Quantities and Sites, owing to its continued increases in quantities of weapons-usable nuclear materials, and low in Risk Environment.
United States' former diplomat and an international expert on nonproliferation, disarmament Laura Kennedy tweeted: “One welcome bit of news reported by NTI index is that #Pakistan ranked as most improved in the security of those countries holding nuclear materials."
On the occasion of the 22nd anniversary of Pakistan’s nuclear test in May, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said Pakistan is a peace-loving country and our conduct as a nuclear weapon state will continue to be defined by restraint and responsibility.
“As we seek to ensure our national security, credible minimum deterrence remains our guiding principle. We are opposed to a nuclear or conventional arms race in the region,” he noted.
Qureshi said Pakistan has demonstrated its commitment to peace and stability by putting forward the proposal for a Strategic Restraint Regime (SRR).
Pakistan and India both have several nuclear warheads. The two countries have not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Pakistan, which sees its nuclear capability as a deterrent to possible threats from India, has always stated that it is not willing to compromise over its nuclear capability at any cost.
US pressure on Pakistan to curb nuclear activities has been a major point of contention between the two countries in recent years, while Islamabad has repeatedly resisted pressure from Washington to deny some allegations of poor security to protect Pakistan's nuclear assets.
According to the latest International Nuclear Weapons Campaign report on global nuclear cost estimates Pakistan and India, two of the continent's traditional rivals, are among the nine countries that spent the most on nuclear weapons last year.
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