President Pervez Musharraf [Images] on Wednesday tightened his grip on Pakistan's nuclear arsenal by issuing an ordinance that makes him the head of the National Command Authority. The NCA is responsible for the development and control of atomic weapons.

The ordinance, issued late in the night, gives a more structured character to the NCA, which was originally set up in February 2000 to address concerns about the safety of the nuclear arsenal. Under the original set-up, the chief of the NCA was the head of the government or the Prime Minister.

The ordinance, issued by Musharraf, names the President as the chairman of the NCA and the prime minister as the deputy chairman.

The order said, "It is necessary and expedient to establish an authority for complete command and control over research, development, production and use of nuclear and space technologies".

The order also provides for the "safety and security of all personnel, facilities, information, installations or organisations and other activities or matters connected to nuclear and space technologies."

Besides the President and the prime minister, the other members of the NCA will be the ministers for foreign affairs, finance, defence and interior, the three service chiefs, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and the director general of the Strategic Plans Division.

The ordinance came two days ahead of the proposed lifting of emergency and appeared to be aimed at addressing fresh international concerns about the safety of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal in the wake of the political uncertainty gripping the country.

Earlier in the day, Musharraf finalised an order to revoke the emergency and to amend the constitution to protect decisions made by him since the measure was imposed on November 3.

When the NCA was set up in 2000, it was envisaged as an "institutionalised command and control mechanism consistent with Pakistan's obligations as a nuclear power". It was responsible for policy formulation and exercising "employment and development control over all strategic nuclear forces and strategic organisations".

It comprised two committees -- Employment Control Committee and Development Control Committee -- as well as the Strategic Plans Division.

The apex Employment Control Committee and the Development Control Committee were led by the head of the government, which was the prime minister.