Both states should be granted membership simultaneously in order to avoid adverse outcomes
HYDERABAD: The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) was a body formed in 1975 to control nuclear export and ensure that nuclear material is not used for military purposes. This Vienna-based consensus-oriented body comprises 48 members today. India and Pakistan have submitted their bids for membership of this body in order to become part of the nuclear mainstream club. Both states lack primary and mandatory criteria for becoming members of this organisation, as both are non-signatories of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty. Despite this, India has unconditional endorsement of the US to qualify as a member of the NSG, while Pakistan has met the usual discriminatory attitude in this body of global governance. Even with such unconditional endorsement of a global hegemon, India’s bid can be rejected by any of the member states.
US Secretary of State John Kerry has called on member states to support the Indian bid, while Pakistan has also made efforts to convince member states that such a move will result in a strategic imbalance in the region. Indian membership of the body, without the simultaneous membership for Pakistan, will have destructive outcomes for the region as well as for the world at large. This will weaken the non-proliferation regime to a great extent, and the disturbed strategic imbalance will culminate in a nuclear arms race in an already unstable region. There is a dire need for the global community to realise the gravity of these circumstances and make sane decisions based on a rational approach, rather than on discrimination. Both states should be granted membership simultaneously in order to avoid adverse outcomes, which may result with only Indian membership of the body.
Aijaz Hussain
Published in The Express Tribune, June 16th, 2016.
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