Sept. 18 - Pakistan has enough nuclear weapons to destroy most major Indian cities several times over, the scientist who developed Islamabad's nuclear weapons program said Thursday.

"India should not underestimate Pakistan. We have enough bombs and missiles to destroy major Indian cities thrice," said Dr. Abdul Quadeer Khan, according to London's Independent newspaper.

Khan made his statements in the context of a warning to New Delhi, the paper said, as Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee continued a four-day visit to the U.S.

Khan, the paper said, was speaking to local scientists in the Pakistani capital at an awards ceremony.

Coming amid mounting tensions once again between India and Pakistan, Khan's comments were carried on the front page of most major Pakistani dailies, said the Independent .

Usually the scientist is prohibited from making such comments in public, but political observers said his statements appeared to be a "calculated" warning to India and, perhaps, government sanctioned.

"Simmering tensions in the Himalayan valley of Kashmir, divided between the two and claimed by both, have stirred fears of another war between India and Pakistan," the paper said.

Both nations have fought three wars since gaining independence from Great Britain in 1947. Two of those conflicts have involved tensions over the Kashmir region, including shooting between Indian and Pakistani rebel forces last year.

U.S. experts and analysts have said they were extremely worried about a nuclear exchange between the countries during the Kashmir fighting in 1999.

© Copyright 2000 Newsline USA.