Former Pakistani Prime Minister and PTI chief Imran Khan has slammed US President Joe Biden after he called Pakistan "one of the most dangerous nations in the world," pointing at the country's huge stockpile of nuclear weapons and what he termed the non-transparent nature of its command and control structure.
"What I think is maybe one of the most dangerous nations in the world: Pakistan. Nuclear weapons without any cohesion," the 79-year-old US leader said during a Democratic congressional campaign committee reception on Friday.
Khan, who has accused the incumbent Pakistani government of conspiring with the US to oust him, raised some questions regarding the POTUS' comment.
"On what info has Biden reached this unwarranted conclusion on our nuclear capability when, having been PM, I know we have one of the most secure nuclear command & control systems? Unlike the US, which has been involved in wars across the world, when has Pakistan shown aggression esp post-nuclearisation?” Khan tweeted.
Khan went on to insist that Biden’s remark proved the “total failure of the imported government’s foreign policy and its claims of a reset of relations with the US.”
“Is this the ‘reset’? This government has broken all records for incompetence,” Khan continued, adding that he was concerned that the current government would end up compromising national security.
The South Asian country's former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, also weighed in on Biden's remarks, saying that Pakistan's “nuclear program is in no way a threat to any country."
“Like all independent states, Pakistan reserves the right to protect its autonomy, sovereign statehood and territorial integrity,” Sharif tweeted.
Shortly after Biden's address was made public on the White House's website, Pakistani Energy Minister Khurram Dastgir likewise rejected the president's statement as “baseless.”
“International agencies have — not once, but several times — verified Pakistan’s atomic deterrence and said that our command and control system is secure. It has all the protection that is required,” he said.
Biden's comments came nearly a month after Washington and Islamabad agreed on a $450 million sustenance package for Pakistan's fleet of US-manufactured F-16 fighter jets.
Under the package, Pakistan will not only receive maintenance support for the airplanes which are vital for the nation’s security, but the jets can also be upgraded with specific enhancements at the request of the South Asian country's air force.
Justifying the decision, US State Secretary Antony Blinken emphasized that Washington was duty-bound to help nations with military supplies, especially countries that have helped in its "War Against Terror".
"To be very clear, this is a sustainment programme for F-16s that Pakistan has long had. These are old planes and systems that they already have. We have a responsibility and obligation to whoever we provide military supplies to maintain and sustain them. Pakistan’s programme bolsters its capability to fight terror and terrorist threats emanating from Pakistan or from the region," Blinken said at the time.