Pakistan has rejected a report by two U.S. magazines claiming that Islamabad has moved its nuclear weapons to unsafe locations, leaving them vulnerable to theft by militants.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry dismissed the report as “pure fiction, baseless and motivated. It is part of a deliberate propaganda campaign meant to mislead opinion.”

“No one should underestimate Pakistan's will and capability to defend its sovereignty, territorial integrity and national interest,” the statement added, according to AFP.

Islamabad says there is no need to worry about the safety of its nuclear weapons.

In a joint report published on Friday, the Atlantic and the National Journal wrote that Pakistan was worried that the U.S. would attempt to dismantle its nuclear arsenal.

According to the report, such concerns rose in Pakistan after the U.S. attack that allegedly killed Osama bin Laden last May.

Later, U.S. officials even threatened to launch a military action against Islamabad.

However, Pakistan's powerful army chief, Gen. Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, warned the U.S. to think "10 times" before launching a military offensive, saying that Pakistan is a nuclear power and nothing like Iraq or Afghanistan.

Pakistan trains 8,000 to protect nukes

Pakistan is training 8,000 additional people to protect the country's nuclear arsenal, which the U.S. fears could be vulnerable to penetration by militants at war with the West, the Pakistani military said.

Pakistan rarely reveals details about its nuclear program or the security around it. The announcement by the Pakistani military that it is training an additional 8,000 people to protect the nuclear arsenal could be seen as a response to the magazine article, AP reported.


“This (group) comprises hand-picked officers and men, who are physically robust, mentally sharp and equipped with modern weapons and equipment,” said the Pakistani military in a written statement Sunday.

The statement was released in conjunction with the graduation of 700 of these security personnel. The ceremony was attended by Maj. Gen. Muhammad Tahir, head of security for the Strategic Plans Division — the arm of the Pakistani military tasked with protecting the nuclear arsenal.

Tahir “reiterated that extensive resources have been made available to train, equip, deploy and sustain an independent and potent security force to meet any and every threat emanating from any quarter,” according to the statement.