ISLAMABAD , Pakistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Pakistan 's foreign ministry Wednesday rejected concerns raised by the U.N. nuclear watchdog chief that the country 's nuclear weapons `` could fall into the hands of an extremist group in Pakistan or in Afghanistan . '' Mohamed ElBaradei , the U.N. nuclear watchdog chief . fears for Pakistan 's nuclear weapons . Mohamed ElBaradei 's comments to Al-Hayat newspaper were `` irresponsible '' and `` unwarranted , '' foreign ministry spokesman Mohammed Sadiq said at a news briefing on Wednesday . `` Pakistan rejects the statement by Dr. ElBaradei , Director General IAEA -LRB- International Atomic Energy Agency -RRB- , hinting at the possibility of its nuclear weapons falling into the hands of extremists , '' according to a ministry statement . `` As head of the IAEA , which is a U.N. body , he has to be careful about his statements which ought to remain within the parameters of his mandate . `` His remarks also ignore the fact that the strategic assets of Pakistan are fully secure and under multilayered safeguards and controls exercised by the National Command Authority . '' In an interview published in Al-Hayat Tuesday , ElBaradei said that Pakistan 's recent political instability makes it more sensitive to susceptible to problems in other Muslim countries . `` The effects of any new war in the Middle East and the Islamic world could have repercussions , not only in Iran , but what I fear most is the effect in Pakistan , a nation with many internal problems , '' ElBaradei said . `` I fear a system of chaos or extremist regime in this state , which has 30 or 40 nuclear weapons . '' Pakistan has been in a state of political upheaval since the country 's opposition challenged President Pervez Musharraf 's tight grip on power , pushing him to step down as military chief and lift the emergency rule he had imposed in early November . The country further spiraled into chaos after the December 27 assassination of leading opposition figure and former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto . In response to the IAEA director-general 's comments , Pakistan 's foreign ministry stressed in its statement that ElBaradei , `` on several occasions , has been briefed about the structure and control mechanisms put in place to ensure complete safety of our nuclear assets . '' `` Pakistan is a responsible nuclear weapon state . Our nuclear weapons are as secure as that of any other nuclear weapon state . We , therefore , believe statements expressing concern about their safety and security are unwarranted and irresponsible . `` Pakistan attaches great importance to IAEA and has extended cooperation and assistance to the Agency on many important issues towards the fulfillment of its mandate . Our civilian nuclear program is under IAEA safeguards and we have always fully complied with IAEA obligations , '' the ministry said . E-mail to a friend