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We won't accept discriminatory treatment: Pakistan

Nirupama Subramanian

U.S. should have worked out a "package approach" for both countries

ISLAMABAD: With the New Delhi-Washington civilian nuclear deal now before a U.S. Senate panel after the House of Representatives committee on international relations voted for it, Pakistan on Wednesday reiterated that it had "concerns" over the agreement. In the interests of strategic balance, peace and stability in South Asia, the U.S. should have worked out a "package approach" for both countries, it said.

In a statement, the Foreign Office spokesperson said: "We have already stated that the objective of strategic stability in South Asia and the global non-proliferation regime would have been better served had the U.S. considered a package approach for Pakistan and India, the two non-NPT nuclear weapons states, with a view to preventing a nuclear arms race in the region and promoting restraints while ensuring that the legitimate needs of both countries for civilian nuclear power generation are met."

A day after U.S Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice said here that the agreement with India was signed under "special circumstances," Pakistan said it "does not accept discriminatory treatment."

"While we will continue to act with responsibility in maintaining minimum credible deterrence and to avoid an arms race, we will remain fully committed to our security requirements and the needs of our economic development which demand growth in the energy sector including civilian nuclear power generation," the statement said.

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