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ISLAMABAD, Thursday (AFP) President Pervez Musharraf rejected any freeze in Pakistan's nuclear program and hinted at upgrading technology to strengthen national security.

Musharraf "dismissed any talk of freeze or roll-back as irrelevant, outdated and totally false," a statement issued by the Pakistan military here said.

The president who chaired a meeting of the National Command Authority, the high-level body overseeing Pakistan's nuclear programme said that "ensuring qualitative upgrades in the country's nuclear programme would fortify national security."

He however "reiterated Pakistan's resolve not to enter into an arms race with anyone while ensuring consolidation of Pakistan's minimum deterrence needs." The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali, Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri and senior military officers including navy and air force chiefs, the statement said. Musharraf said Pakistan's nuclear programme had "matured over the years and would continue to the receive top national priority."

He also castigated international media reports alleging Pakistan had assisted Iran with its nuclear programme.

Musharraf described the reports as an "inspired and malicious campaign." Pakistan has a "strong non-proliferation record," Musharraf said reiterating the country's commitments to universal non-proliferation goals, the statement said.

The statement said the nuclear command authority reviewed the progress of Pakistan's strategic programme.

It expressed "complete satisfaction with the operational readiness of strategic forces and pace of development work."

Pakistan is estimated to possess between 25 and 50 nuclear warheads, according to Jane's Defence Weekly.

Pakistan is said to have an uranium enrichment plant and a plutonium reprocessing plant and at least four nuclear reactors across the country.

Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee presided over a similar meeting of his country's Nuclear Command Authority on Monday, which decided to "consolidate India's nuclear deterrence."

A government statement in New Delhi said the meeting "took a number of decisions on the further development and management of the programme."

"These decisions will consolidate India's nuclear deterrence," it added, without elaborating.

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