• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

U.S.-India Nuclear Deal to Affect Stability in South Asia: Pakistan

Posted on: Saturday, 18 March 2006, 09:00 CST

U.S.-India nuclear deal to affect stability in South Asia: Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan on Friday opposed to the U.S. administration's move to seek a waiver from the Congress for the implementation of a U.S.-India nuclear cooperation program, saying the deal would have impact on stability in South Asia.

"The grant of the waiver as a special case will have serious implications for the security environment in South Asia as well as for international non-proliferation efforts," the Pakistani foreign office said in a statement.

"The agreement, which keeps a large number facilities and reactors including breeder reactors outside safeguards, would only encourage India to continue its weapons program without any constraint or inhibition," the foreign office said.

"On its part Pakistan would not accept any discriminatory treatment," it said. "While we will continue to act with responsibility in maintaining minimum credible deterrence and to avoid an arms race, we will neither be oblivious to our security requirements, nor to the needs of our economic development which demand growth in the energy sector including civilian nuclear power generation."

"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 (Non-Proliferation Treaty) 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."

"Pakistan needed to restore the disturbed balance and was compelled to respond when India again tested in 1998. By establishing nuclear deterrence, Pakistan has ensured peace and stability in South Asia as was proven by subsequent events especially in 2002," said Pakistani Foreign Office Spokesperson Tasneem Aslam.

She said that following the resumption of the Composite Dialogue between Pakistan and India in 2004, it remains Pakistan's objective to avoid arms race, promote restraints, reduce risk and maintain the nuclear deterrent at the minimum credible level.

She said that Pakistan's civilian nuclear power reactors are totally covered by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards including the spent fuel produced by these reactors.

"Our future nuclear power generation reactors will also be under safeguards," she said.

The spokesperson said that Pakistan expected all the Nuclear Suppliers Group member countries to be sensitive to Pakistan's energy needs and extend cooperation in the civilian nuclear sector.

Source: Xinhua News Agency - CEIS

More News in this Category