By SPA,
Islamabad : Pakistan says there is no possibility to accredit any foreign official to the National Command Authority (NCA) composed of the President, the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister, the Defence Minister and others.
Commenting on a report that the United States had proposed to accredit an American official to NCA, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Muhammad Sadiq said delegations and individuals do become members of NCA but it is not possible to accredit an official to NCA.
He said Strategic Plans Division (SPD) is the Secretariat of NCA and international cooperation by SPD is limited to learning the best practices for the purpose of nuclear safety as stated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on several occasions.
The spokesman said SPD also briefed the visiting senior government officials, legislators and foreign media representatives on the safety of Pakistan’s nuclear programme.
These briefings are coordinated by concerned Ambassadors or officials, he added.
There is no question of allowing access to any outsider to SPD for any other purpose, said the spokesman.
He said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is kept informed about all briefings given by SPD to foreign dignitaries.
Neither any foreign government has made a request to accredit an official to SPD nor a system exists to accept such accreditation, the spokesman added.