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No possibility of accidental nuke war: Musharraf

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January 10, 2003 17:52 IST

Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf has played down fears of an accidental Indo-Pak nuclear war, saying his country's missiles and warheads are kept apart under the nuclear command he heads with Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali.

"This is not Warsaw Pact Vs NATO situation where warheads and missiles are ready to fire with a button in hand. There is no button in our case. The missiles and warheads are not permitted together. There is a geographical separation between them," Musharraf said in an interview to Pakistan Observer.

He said that there is a National Command and Control Authority responsible for the development and deployment of all nuclear and strategic weapons.

On reports that Pakistan's nuclear assets could fall into wrong hands, Musharraf said the country had put controls and command

arrangements in place long before India.

"Let me assure you that there is no question of any breach [of the nuclear command]."

Over prospects of escalation of tension due to Pakistan's induction of Gauri missiles into the army and India's testing of the Agni missile, Musharraf said the two countries are taking actions according to their requirements and there is no reciprocation involved.

"As a matter of fact it was India that inducted missiles into their army first."

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