Joe Biden
Biden's remark on Pakistan: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari says US envoy will be summoned for an official demarche
The Pakistan government will summon US Ambassador Donald Blome for an official demarche on US President Joe Biden’s remarks on Pakistan’s nuclear weapons, media reports said.
In a press conference at the Bilawal House in Karachi today, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was quoted as saying by Dawn News that Pakistan’s nuclear assets “meet each and every international standard in accordance with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) as far as security and safety is concerned”.
“If there is any question as to nuclear safety, then they should be directed to our neighbor India, who very recently accidentally fired a missile into Pakistani territory," he said.
“This is not only irresponsible and unsafe but raises genuine and serious concerns about the safety of nuclear-capable countries,” he pointed out.
“I am surprised by the remarks of President Biden […] I believe this is exactly the sort of misunderstanding that is created when there is a lack of engagement," he said.
The minister said that Pakistan had embarked on a “journey of engagement” and just marked the 75th anniversary of bilateral engagements with the US.
“If this was such a concern, I imagine it would’ve been raised in that meeting with me, I believe that we have just started our journey of engagement and we will have many more opportunities to engage with the US and address any concerns and misconceptions they might have to this specific question," he said.
"We have called the ambassador for a demarche, he said, adding that an opportunity should be allowed to the US to explain the position," he said.
“I don’t believe it negatively impacts the relations between Pakistan and the US. We will continue on the positive trajectory of engagements we are having so far,” Bilawal highlighted.
US President Joe Biden has called Pakistan one of the most dangerous nations in the world.
Biden was speaking at a Democratic congressional campaign committee reception Thursday, when his comment on Pakistan was made, a transcript of the address, published on the White House’s website, quoted Biden as saying, “… And what I think is maybe one of the most dangerous nations in the world: Pakistan. Nuclear weapons without any cohesion.”
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