New Delhi: Pakistan has been moving its nuclear arsenal frequently in recent times that could lead to a danger of these weapons falling into the hands of terrorists, a leading US nuclear expert said on March 5.

Ever since September 11 terror attacks in US, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has been moving his nuclear weapons frequently for fear of US or Indian strikes, visiting US expert Dr Scot D Sagan said.

He said such frequent movements of nuclear weapons, particularly in a country like Pakistan where al-Qaida supporters were still inside and outside the Pakistan Army made these warheads more vulnerable to terrorists snatch.

Advocating that India and Pakistan should move away from nuclear brinkmanship, he and another leading US Nuclear expert Dr Ashley Tellis termed New Delhi's pronouncement of use of nuclear option in case of being attacked by chemical and biological weapons as a "significant switch" from the no-first-use doctrine.

Saying that the pronouncement almost amounted to first use policy under certain conditions, Sagan said the real threat to India's security would be if these weapons fell into terrorists hands.

Claiming that the pronouncements made early this year would now make India and US nuclear doctrine almost aligned, the experts speaking at an interactive seminar on 'Nuclear Weapons in South Asia' as part of an ongoing wider Indo-US dialogue on nuclear and missile technology said such shifts in nuclear policy would strengthen India's nuclear commitment.

They said in time the wider commitment could lead to New Delhi going in for not affordable more nuclear stockpiling.

The views of the US experts at the seminar organised jointly by US Embassy and Centre for Policy Research, were challenged by several eminent Indian speakers, including former Army and Air Force top brass, security experts and diplomats, who said that nuclear button in India was firmly under political control and was designed towards having only a minimum deterrence.

Suggesting a wider national debate on nuclear doctrine, Sagan as well as Tellis, senior adviser to the US Ambassador on security matters, said New Delhi should quantify its minimum nuclear deterrence.

Tellis said Indian defence scientists were working on single stage solid fuel missiles to give them intermediate range capability and were also working on improving the weapons delivery system.

He, however, said US was satisfied that Indian missiles and nuclear programme was designed only for intermediate range capability and not go in for longer-range missiles.

Referring to Defence Minister George Fernandes' pronouncements of massive retaliation in case of India being attacked by nuclear weapons, Sagan said for such a venture, India would need anything up to 8,000 warheads.

On suggestions thrown up at the seminar that India should have a nuclear strategy of not only targeting major Cities, but also command and control systems, the American academician said to obliterate even an entire armoured division could require anything up to 250 warheads.

PTI