Pakistan tests missile, rejects nuclear safety worry

By Zeeshan Haider

ISLAMABAD, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Pakistan's army chief dismissed on Friday fears that the country's nuclear weapons could fall into the hands of Islamist militants as the military test fired a nuclear-capable missile.

Pakistan is a staunch ally in the U.S.-led war on terrorism but deteriorating security and political turmoil has raised international concern about the safety of its nuclear weapons.

General Ashfaq Kayani, who became army chief in November when Pervez Musharraf stepped down to become a civilian president, rejected the worry as "unrealistic".

Speaking at the test-firing of a medium-range Shaheen-1 (Hatf-IV) ballistic missile, he said such concerns were based on a "lack of understanding of Pakistan's command and control mechanisms".

"He said the Pakistani armed forces were a highly professional, motivated and well-trained force and were capable of safeguarding and securing nuclear assets against all categories of threat," the military said in a statement.

Pakistan carried out nuclear tests in May 1998, days after its old rival India conducted tests.

Kayani said Pakistan had developed a strong nuclear deterrence capability but it did not harbour aggressive designs against anyone.

"Pakistan's nuclear capability was solely for the purpose of deterring all types of aggression," he was cited as saying.