Pakistan has developed short-range n-weapons to counter India: Abbasi

New York, Sep 21 (IANS) Pakistan has developed short-range nuclear weapons as a counter to the "Cold Start" military doctrine allegedly adopted by the Indian armed forces, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said here.

Addressing an event organised by the Council on Foreign Relations, Abbasi, who is currently in New York for the UN General Assembly, said: "We (Pakistan) have a very robust and very secure command-and-control system over our strategic nuclear assets, and I think time has proved that it's a process that is very secure.

"As far as tactical nuclear weapons, we do not have any fielded tactical nuclear weapons. We have developed short-range nuclear weapons as a counter to the Cold Start doctrine that India has developed," he was quoted as saying by the Associated Press of Pakistan. Abbasi is scheduled to address the UNGA on Thursday.

On being asked for his views on the ongoing situation at the Line of Control (LoC), Abbasi said: "There is Indian aggression along the LoC, mostly to draw attention away from the genuine struggle of the Kashmiri people, who have risen against the Indian occupation there."

Admitting that there has been aggression from India in the recent past, the Prime Minister said that Pakistan wants "normal relations with India, but on the basis of trust and respect".