Govt will not allow foreigners access to NCCA: Qureshi

ASSOCIATED PRESS SERVICE

ISLAMABAD : Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi Friday categorically stated that the government would not allow foreigners to attend the meeting of National Command and Control Authority (NCCA).
“Pakistan will not permit any access to anybody to its sensitive installations and NCCA meeting,” Qureshi assured National Assembly in response to a calling attention notice.
“There is nothing to be concerned. Neither any US official has asked to attend the NCCA meeting nor the government had allowed anybody,” he added.
MNAs Dr Attiya Inayatullah, Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada, Shahnaz Sheikh and Nosheen Saeed had drawn the attention of the Minister towards placement of a permanent American official at the US Embassy in Pakistan to deal with Pakistan’s nuclear issues who would have direct access to the National Command Authority.
Qureshi said, “Pakistan’s nuclear programme is safe and in safe hands. Whole the nation has consensus that nuclear programme is deeply related to national security.
He said the government had received no such request from the United States.
The members have based their notice on a news item, he said, adding “and I categorically rebut it and assure that Pakistan would manifest complete wisdom and self respect in the matters of national defence and foreign policy.”
To a question about international concerns on Pakistan’s nuclear programme, the Foreign Minister said, “We are following the best practices to address international concerns. The government had invited the diplomats and briefed them to address their concerns.”
“Our nuclear programme is secure and there is no need for any concern what so ever,” he added.
To another question whether other countries would not be allowed to visit the nuclear installations, the minister said, he had already assured it.