The Hindu : International / India & World : U.S. should have signed deal with us too: Pakistan

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Friday, Aug 03, 2007
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International - India & World

U.S. should have signed deal with us too: Pakistan

Nirupama Subramanian

ISLAMABAD: “The United States should have given Pakistan the same civilian nuclear deal as the one it recently concluded with India in the interests of South Asian stability and to prevent an arms race in the region,” the National Command Authority (NCA) said on Thursday.

This was one of the points made at a meeting of the NCA — a body that controls and oversees the implementation of Pakistan’s nuclear programme — chaired by President Pervez Musharraf at its Rawalpindi headquarters, known as the Strategic Plan Division.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, senior officials of the military, including the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee chairman, the three services chiefs and a host of scientists and civilian bureaucrats were present at the meeting.

Discussed

According to a Pakistan military statement, the India-U.S. civilian nuclear deal was one of the issues discussed.

The NCA noted that the deal would enable India to make more fissile material and nuclear weapons from un-safeguarded nuclear rectors.

“Ensure legitimate needs”

“The objective of strategic stability in South Asia and the global non-proliferation regime would have been better served if the United States had 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 civil nuclear power generation are met,” the military said.

The NCA reiterated Pakistan’s position that the Nuclear Suppliers Group should “evolve a criteria-based approach” to help Pakistan access civilian nuclear energy under IAEA safeguards to meet its growing energy requirements.

“Norms fulfilled”

“Pakistan had always fulfilled all its international IAEA safeguard requirements for its nuclear power reactors, and was ready to accept innovative bilateral and multilateral approaches for establishment of power plants under appropriate safeguards, including nuclear power parks,” the NCA said.

Nuclear deterrence

The meeting also reiterated that “while continuing to act with responsibility in maintaining credible nuclear deterrence and avoiding an arms race, Pakistan will neither be oblivious to its security requirements nor to the needs of its economic development.”

Commitment

The NCA also stressed Pakistan’s commitment to nuclear non-proliferation.

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