The Pakistani Prime Minister, Yousaf Raza Gilani asserted that Pakistan had an effective command and control structure for its nuclear weapons and that they were fully safe and secure. Mr. Gilani added that the Pakistani nuclear command structures were “well conceived and elaborate” and that they had “matured.” A statement from the Prime Minster’s office also mentioned that the (nuclear) force development as per the needs of Pakistan's minimum deterrence, was progressing well1.

In other developments, the Pakistani army test fired a long-range, nuclear-capable ballistic missile on April 21. The launch marked the culmination of a field training exercise for the Hatf-VI (Shaheen-II), which included a test firing on April 19. The missile, with a range of about 1,900 kilometres, is a two-stage solid fuel weapon and can carry both conventional and nuclear warheads“Pakistan Tests Nuclear Capable Ballistic Missile,” The New York Times, April 21, 2008, at http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world/international-pakistan-missile.html....

• 1. Zeeshan Haider, “Pakistan has effective nuclear command: PM,” Reuters, April 17, 2008, at http://in.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idINISL11841220080417?rpc=401&