Thaindian News

New Delhi, June 10 (IANS) With a Swedish think tank warning that Pakistani nukes could fall into terrorists’ hands, India Friday said this threat was a major cause of worry for it.

But Pakistan continuing to amass a nuclear arsenal was not that much of a concern, as India was capable of dealing with the situation, Defence Minister A.K. Antony told reporters here on the sidelines of an Indian Air Force (IAF) event.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) has warned in its latest yearbook that Pakistan, which has a stockpile of about 110 nuclear weapons, on par with India, could lose control of a part of its arsenal to terrorists. It also said that India and Pakistan increased their nuclear arsenal at the rate of 20 to 30 warheads each in 2010.

“Our only major worry is…there is always the danger and threat of Pakistani nuclear arsenal going into the hands of militants, terrorists,” Antony said when asked to react to the SIPRI assessment.

However, the increasing nuclear arsenal of Pakistan was not a “major worry,” he said.

“We are closely monitoring what is happening around us. We know Pakistan is strengthening their nuclear arsenal. We are also taking care of it. We are not unduly worried of that because India is equally capable of meeting any threats,” he added.

Asked about Pakistani-Canadian Tawwahur Rana’s conviction by a Chicago court for terror plot against a Danish newspaper and his revelations of Pakistan spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence’s links with terror outfits, Antony only said the Indian security forces were keeping a 24×7 vigil considering the present security scenario and threats from terrorists, especially after the killing of Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden by US special forces in Abbottabad in Pakistan May 2.