Pakistan talks to Nuclear Suppliers Group
Dated 21/3/2006
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Islamabad: Pakistan has said it has discussed a civilian nuclear deal with the Nuclear Suppliers' Group. "Discussions were not related to the India-U.S. civilian nuclear cooperation pact," said Tasneem Aslam, Pakistani Foreign Office spokeswoman.
The Hindu newspaper said Tuesday that a two-member delegation from the Nuclear Suppliers' Group was in Pakistan for discussions on the export control system on sensitive technologies put in place by Islamabad.
The NSG delegation met Foreign Secretary Riaz Mohammad Khan and was briefed on the export control system. She said the group aims to prevent nuclear exports for commercial and peaceful purposes from being used to make weapons.
"Members voluntarily coordinate their export controls to non-nuclear weapon states," Aslam said, adding that Pakistan has not sought membership of the elite nuclear group, although it fulfils most of the criteria required of a member, as it is not a signatory to the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Pakistan has been on edge since India entered into a civilian nuclear deal with the United States.
"Though it was not aimed at influencing the U.S. Congress, Pakistan would not accept any discriminatory treatment," Aslam said, responding to Pakistani President Gen Pervez Musharraf's remarks on the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal.
Aslam said Pakistan's civilian nuclear facilities, such as power generation plants, were already under the safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
"Firstly, India is yet to separate its civil and military nuclear facilities. The nuclear power plants we have are already under the cover of IAEA. We are ready to place future civilian nuclear facilities under IAEA," Aslam said.
