Pakistan’s foreign minister summons US ambassador over Biden’s ‘irresponsible and unsafe’ comment

Biden made the remarks at a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee reception

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari (Associated Press)

Pakistan’s foreign minister summoned the US ambassador on Saturday to give him a demarche after US president Joe Biden said in a speech that Pakistan might be “one of the most dangerous nations in the world” because it has “nuclear weapons without any cohesion”.

“We are fully capable of safeguarding our nuclear weapons and they meet each and every international standard in accordance with the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] as far as security and safety is concerned,” Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said, according to Geo News.

“Pakistan is adamant about ensuring its integrity and safety. Security questions, if any, should be raised on the nuclear weapons of India, which recently fired a missile into Pakistani territory by accident,” he said. A demarche is a petition or protest presented through diplomatic channels.

“This is not only irresponsible and unsafe but raises serious concerns about the safety of nuclear-capable countries. Biden’s remarks came as a surprise. I believe such misunderstandings are a result of a lack of engagement,” Geo quoted the foreign minister as saying.

Mr Bhutto Zardari said he didn’t think the decision to summon the US ambassador would negatively affect relations with the United States.

“We will make sure our engagements with the US continue in the right direction,” he said.

President Biden made the remarks at a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee reception on Thursday.

“And what I think is maybe one of the most dangerous nations in the world: Pakistan. Nuclear weapons without any cohesion,” Mr Biden said, according to the transcript of the address.

“And the truth of the matter is – I genuinely believe this – that the world is looking to us. Not a joke. Even our enemies are looking to us to figure out how we figure this out, what we do,” Mr Biden added.

Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan said current PM Shehbaz Sharif was responsible for Mr Biden’s statement because it showed the “total failure of the government’s foreign policy”.