Islamabad, Apr 18 : Nuclear assets in Pakistan were placed in safe and secure hands, the country’s Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has claimed.

He expressed satisfaction over the effectiveness of command and control structures of the country's nuclear capability, saying the structures, which, according to him, had matured, were well conceived and elaborate.

“It has been ensured that while our nuclear assets are safe and secure, the force development as per needs of Pakistan's minimum deterrence is progressing well,” The News quoted Gilani as saying here last evening.

Reiterating his government's commitment to the strategic programme, the prime minister said that Pakistan believed in maintaining the minimum credible deterrence as a cornerstone of its national security policy. “Pakistan's security will always remain my government's priority,” he added.

The prime minister said as a responsible, declared and acknowledged nuclear power, Pakistan would continue to play a positive role in international efforts aimed at non-proliferation. (ANI)