Thaindian News

The Russians also shared concerns that Pakistan was “highly unstable”, with Yuri Korolev from the Russian Foreign Ministry telling US officials, “Islamists are not only seeking power in Pakistan but are also trying to get their hands on nuclear materials.”

Speaking in February in Washington, he called for the problem of Pakistani nuclear sites to be addressed in ongoing missile control talks, claiming, “Over the last few years extremists have attacked vehicles that carry staff to and from these facilities. Some were killed and a number were abducted and there has been no trace seen of them.”

“There are 120,000-130,000 people directly involved in Pakistan’s nuclear and missile programmes … There is no way to guarantee that all are 100% loyal and reliable,” Korolev said.

He claimed that extremists were now recruiting more easily, and warned that “Pakistan has had to hire people to protect nuclear facilities that have especially strict religious beliefs, and recently the general educational and cultural levels in Pakistan has been falling.”

These fears are expressed in the secret state department files against a backdrop of Pakistani determination to build more nuclear warheads.

However, a Chinese foreign minister, He Yafei, sought to explain to the US why Pakistan was blocking fissile material control talks.

At a London meeting in 2009, he said, “The underlying problem … is that India and Pakistan view each other as enemies. Nuclear weapons are crucial to Pakistan. Indeed, a Pakistani military leader said his army was no match for the Indian army.” (ANI)