Pakistan declared 'most improved' country in nuclear assets security

Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), a leading US non-proliferation watchdog, has ranked Pakistan as the most improved in the security of those countries holding nuclear materials, improving its overall score by seven points.

According to an NTI Nuclear Security Index report released for the year 2020, Pakistan has ranked most improved among countries with materials in 2020, which improved its overall score by adopting new on-site physical protection and cybersecurity regulations, improving insider threat protection measures, and more.

The Nuclear Threat Initiative further said that Pakistan’s score improvement for regulatory measures is the second-largest improvement for regulations in the Index since 2012.

“In 2016, it passed new cybersecurity regulations. In 2018, it improved its insider threat protections. Its newest regulations mark a much larger shift.”

“The majority of Pakistan’s improvements are in the Security and Control Measures category (+25) because of its passage of new regulations. Pakistan also improved in the Global Norms category (+1),” according to a report.

Among countries with weapons-usable nuclear materials, Australia ranked first for the fifth time. It also ranks first in the sabotage ranking for the third time

Meanwhile, Pakistan Ambassador to the United States Asad Majeed has welcomed the Nuclear Threat Initiative index for the year 2020.

“We welcome that Nuclear Threat Initiative on weapons of mass destruction has categorized Pakistan as the most improved country for nuclear security measures in its Nuclear Security Index 2020,” he said in a Tweet.

We welcome that @NTI_WMD categorizes Pakistan as most improved country for nuclear security measures in its Nuclear Security Index 2020. Pakistan’s improvement is also the second largest ever by a country since the #NTIIndex was launched in 2012.

— Asad M. Khan (@asadmk17) July 22, 2020

He said Pakistan’s improvement is also the second-largest ever by a country since the NTI Index was launched in 2012.