Perturbed over the deadly terrorist assault on Pakistan Naval Station (PNS) Mehran in Karachi and other recent acts of terror, the Islamabad-based foreign diplomatic missions are in constant touch with their respective capitals, keeping them posted about the situation here and their interaction with Pakistani authorities on the country’s plans to avert such attacks in future.
The attack on Mehran naval aviation base in Karachi has set off alarm bells in Washington, London, Brussels and other world capitals and they have told their diplomatic missions in Islamabad to keep them posted about the evolving situation.
“The western and other world capitals are particularly concerned about the safety of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons and they have asked their missions to discuss with Pakistani authorities Islamabad’s plans to ensure their protection in the days and months to come,” said a diplomatic source, who asked not to be named, here on Monday.
The western nations believe that Pakistan currently has 70 to 100 nuclear weapons and they have time and again stated their satisfaction over the steps taken by Pakistan for their security. Pakistan has also made it clear that security at its nuclear installations is much higher and it is almost impossible for militants to carry out any attack against them.
“The attack on Mehran base has led to deep concern among the international community, as particularly the western countries feel that by going for an attack on a sensitive navy installation in Karachi, the militants have shown their ability to reach and attack any sensitive installation,” the source said.
Adding to the concerns and worries of foreign diplomats in Pakistan, some western media reports said on Tuesday that the attack on PNS Mehran took place only 15 miles away from a suspected Pakistan nuclear weapons storage site at Masroor airbase, a sign of how close the nuclear arsenal is to growing violence from the Pakistani Taliban and other militant groups.
The source said the Foreign Ministry was likely to arrange briefings for foreign diplomats in coming days to assure them that Pakistan’s sensitive installations were safe and its forces were fully capable of ensuring their safety.
“No doubt that the attack on a major naval base in Karachi has deeply perturbed the international community and they want elaborate security measures from Pakistan to block any such assaults by terrorists in future, but it is hoped that the briefings by the Foreign Ministry for the foreign diplomats will allay their fears and concerns,” he said.
