Pakistan on Monday rejected as "mala fide" reports that U.S. money was being used to enhance safety and security of the country's nuclear program, saying its command and control systems were completely indigenous.

"Pakistan is fully capable of looking after the safety and security of strategic assets itself", a spokesman from Foreign Office said.

Local newspapers reported Monday that a U.S. expert claimed the United States is helping Pakistan modernize its nuclear arsenal in hopes to make them safer in a report released on Sunday. Xinhua could not get any immediate comments from the Foreign Office on the reports.

The spokesman termed the news report as "totally baseless." He said that "we have never sought the advice of any U.S. expert in this regard."

Rejecting the remarks made by U.S author Andrew Cockburn, the spokesman said there is no truth whatsoever that any U.S. money has been diverted towards Pakistan's nuclear program.

The spokesman added that such unwarranted and unfounded assertions that keep appearing from time to time are clearly mala fide, desperately trying to raise apprehensions about the safety and security of Pakistan's nuclear program.

The Foreign Office spokesman underlined that such efforts are bound to fail as the government and the people of Pakistan are resolved to protect the sanctity of Pakistan's nuclear program under all circumstances.

Source: Xinhua