Pakistan

Pakistan tells US it qualifies for nuclear suppliers club

Neither India nor Pakistan has signed the nuclear Non-Profileration Treaty, a 'prerequisite' to NSG membership

Reuters May 17, 2016

Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD: Foreign secretary on Tuesday told a US envoy his country has the "credentials" to join a club of nuclear trading nations, signalling Islamabad may apply alongside India and force a showdown in the consensus-based group next month.

Such a move would drag the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) into the long-running tension between India and Pakistan.

Diplomats last year quietly launched a new push to induct India into the NSG - a 48-nation club dedicated to curbing nuclear arms proliferation by controlling the export and re-transfer of materials that could foster nuclear weapons development.

"Pakistan expressed confidence in its credentials to become full member of the export control regimes, particularly Nuclear Suppliers Group," the Foreign Ministry's official spokesperson said in a tweet.

Pakistan expressed concerns on the growing conventional imbalance and reiterated longstanding proposal for Strategic Restraint Regime (SRR)
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) May 17, 2016

The comment followed talks on Tuesday in Islamabad between Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry and US Under Secretary of State for Arms Control Rose Gottemoeller.

Obama urges Pakistan, India to scale down nuclear threat

The US Embassy in Islamabad declined to comment.

Membership of the NSG would increase India's international clout and provide a vested interest in curbing the world's most dangerous regional arms race, but the prospects are fraught.

The campaign for India membership is seen as carrying the risk of antagonising Pakistan as well as its ally China, which could veto any India application.

China could also insist as a condition of India's membership that Pakistan also be allowed to join, a potential hard sell because of Islamabad's development of new tactical nuclear weapons.

A further complication is that neither India nor Pakistan has signed the nuclear Non-Profileration Treaty, generally seen as a prerequisite to NSG membership. The Nuclear Suppliers Group is expected to hold its next meeting in June. The NSG was created in response to India's testing its first nuclear weapon in 1974.

COMMENTS (19)

Rabia | 8 years ago | Reply As for India's membership of the NSG, Washington remains committed to help achieve this goal. But a selective nuclear policy will have far reaching consequences. Not only will this accentuate the asymmetry in strategic capabilities between India and Pakistan and erode nuclear deterrence in South Asia but also risk fuelling a more dangerous regional arms race.

Shahid | 8 years ago | Reply Having accepted the IAEA safeguards and Additional Protocol and having effectively subscribed to and practised the principles of non-proliferation, it is immaterial if Pakistan has formally signed the NPT, CTBT or any other such treaty. Pakistan has acquired high-level expertise in the peaceful use of nuclear energy in industry, power, agriculture and health care. Its inclusion in NSG will not only benefit it but also encourage civil nuclear trade globally without compromising on world peace and harmony.

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Rajiv | 8 years ago | Reply Both Pakistan and India seek the membership of Nuclear Supplier’s Group (NSG). However, both are following different approaches to achieve this objective. India is following a usual nuclear apartheid route, looking for shortcuts to have entry only for itself through country specific exemptions, while Pakistan supports a criteria based entry for all those countries which seek NSG membership now or in future. Pakistan position is honest one. There are striking similarities in the nuclear profile of the two countries; hence if criteria based approach is followed then either both would qualify or none would qualify.

Blackwater | 8 years ago | Reply Look who talking about credentials? India is in the top 5 world economies & Pakistan is sitting on the bottom with Afghanistan, deepening on aids & loans of other countries & institutions. It simply does not deserve a place at the high table

Tp | 8 years ago | Reply It is a simple matter of overlooking the AQ Khan affair where the highest bidder got blueprints to build nukes. Is this even a serious statement?

mohan | 8 years ago | Reply China is also nuclear country, has many warheads and weapons, why didn't u complain about china for destroying so called strategic balance?.

dude | 8 years ago | Reply india is using solar power..NSG or neuclea power does no different to india.

IndianDude | 8 years ago | Reply Pakistan is qualified to be clubbed together with North Korea.

Wellwisher | 8 years ago | Reply Pakistan has to do the following things first. Then it can think of applying for NSG membership. 1.No first use of nuclear weapons. 2.Stop its tactical nuclear weapons program. 3.Allow quizzing A Q Khan for nuclear proliferation by international agencies.

Peterson | 8 years ago | Reply It seems Pakistan will beg its way into the NSG club, no matter the humiliation.

Zahid | 8 years ago | Reply Pakistan much be apply for NSG, we are already qualified for NSG.

numbersnumbers | 8 years ago | Reply But wait, wasn't "trustworthy" Pakistan already part of the "nuclear suppliers club" via Dr. Khans global efforts years ago?

sundar | 8 years ago | Reply Let you first allow neutral countries to investigate A Q Khan who ran nuclear black market. Lets deal with tactical nuclear weapons which others discontinued long time ago. Don't seek parity with India every where because you are not equal, for now.

Bharat | 8 years ago | Reply Perhaps, if Pakistan had not given so much know how to Libya and North Korea, other countries would be listening and be more synpathetic

Sunil | 8 years ago | Reply Makes no difference to India, we will find away forward and also produce our own technologies. We can not be stopped. In the end we have more economic cloud then most nations and India will and is growing at a very fast pace most countries want to do business with us, including Pakistan.

pakistani bloach | 8 years ago | Reply fair play by pakistan. We wont let you play if we are not allowed to play simple as that. We should do same for permanent seat in security council.we need to be agressive in our approach on international stage.

Rabia | 8 years ago | Reply Pakistan can only cry on the world stage. Nobody cares now. India is playing with the big boys and soon will treat Pakistan like how it treats Bangladesh, Bhutan etc.

Shahid Akram | 8 years ago | Reply Its double standards from US that it included India in nuclear supplier group which started nuclear race in sub continent.

Dipak | 8 years ago | Reply Terrorists with proven record never qualifies for anything.

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