In a recent interview with investigative journalist Sameh 'Abdallah of the Egyptian government daily Al-Ahram, Lieutenant-General (Ret.) Khalid Ahmed Kidwai, the director-general since 1988 of Pakistan's Strategic Planning Division – the military body responsible for the production, security, and storage of Pakistan's nuclear weapons – said that Pakistan's nuclear arsenal is aimed chiefly at India, since, he claimed, Pakistan had no other enemies. He stressed that Pakistan has the right to use these weapons if the need arises, and to defend its sovereignty and its nuclear arsenal against attempts to dismantle or harm them. He added that Pakistan is entitled to share its knowledge and experience in the nuclear field with other countries, such as Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, under the supervision of the IAEA, thus preventing Pakistan's isolation.
Following are excerpts from the interview: [1]
