Pakistan will seek an end to the ‘discriminatory policies’ of world powers when it comes to access to nuclear technology for peaceful purposes at a nuclear security summit in Seoul.
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani will lead a Pakistan delegation at the two-day summit to be attended by over 50 world leaders, including US President Barack Obama, Chinese President Hu Jintao and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The Seoul moot is a follow-up to the Washington Summit held in April 2010. The meeting comes a year after the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster in Japan and participants are due to discuss efforts to stop the spread of nuclear weapons and work to restore faith in civil nuclear energy.
According to a foreign ministry official, Premier Gilani in his keynote address will make a strong case for non-discriminatory access to nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, including nuclear power generation, to meet the country’s growing energy demands.
The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) — which includes the United States, Russia, China, European Union countries and some others — is a group of nuclear supplier countries which seeks to contribute to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.
Islamabad has been seeking a civilian nuclear deal similar to the India-US accord that allows New Delhi access to nuclear technology despite being a non-signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
However, world nuclear suppliers have so far refused to heed to Pakistan’s request due to a track record of leaking sensitive technology to other states, specifically the alleged involvement of Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan in such activities.
Ahead of the summit, a statement issued by the foreign ministry on Friday made Pakistan’s case once again to become a member of the elite NSG. The statement highlighted Pakistan’s four-decade long experience of secure operation of nuclear power plants, highly trained manpower and safety and security culture.
The statement said Prime Minister Gilani would also apprise world leaders of measures implemented by Pakistan to strengthen the safety and security of nuclear installations and materials.
Meeting President Obama
The White House says President Obama is to meet Premier Gilani on March 27 in Seoul. In a press release, the White House Press Secretary said that the meeting, which is to take place after the upcoming summit, will be an opportunity for both countries “to continue high-level consultations on areas of mutual interest.” The press release further stated that President Obama “looks forward to reviewing our efforts to support an Afghan-led reconciliation process”. The prime minister is also expected to meet his Indian counterpart. (WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM HUMA IMTIAZ IN WASHINGTON)
Published in The Express Tribune, March 24th, 2012.
COMMENTS (13)
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for god sake find solutions for humanity, poverty and stop making most dangerous weapons for the world and spend money to poor people , every one will face to god for his part for welfare of world and disturbance of god,s universe, . as written on every currency note of usa ,IN GOD WE TRUST .
@Harry Stone: Waiting for my answer please......?
@huzaifa:
The survival of PAK may depend on many things but having nuclear weapons is not one of them. PAK will implode because of its failure to govern and provide the mininal basic services for the people of PAK. The threat PAK faces is not from without but from within.
@Harry Stone: Answer one question honestly, If need be , will you beg , borrow and steal for your country if her survival depends upon you or not?
@huzaifa:
Then it reasonable to assume the other nations are doing what they consider to be in their best interests just as PAK has done.
@vasan: "...what all Dr Khan was involved in . stealing nuclear drawings from Belgium to selling the centrifuge designs to Libya. " The poor man is being given credit /crucified for things he could not have done, for instance stealing secrets about building nuclear bombs. All he did was to xerox drawings detailing designs of uranium-enrichment technology and smuggle them to Pakistan. Nuclear bomb work in Pakistan was done entirely by another group in collaboration with the Chinese. Unfortunately, all Khan was responsible for was dragging that group down to the bottom with him. Similarly, missiles are being built to North Korean designs. Off course, the only credit he truly deserves for is setting up Pakistan as the nuclear walmart of the world. Not a very bright man, many would say!
@G.Din, @vasan! dears, What are the standards and who makes them, Dr Qadeer did what was best in his nation's interest. How you can justify that Pakistan should have square off India in war, we already lost our Part and i think so, that was the turning point when some body said no more of this at any cost. That's what i say, let people have technology , don't monopolize because then people will find back doors and back alleys of Belgium and Libya.
huzaifa : I just want to suggest you read about what all Dr Khan was involved in . stealing nuclear drawings from Belgium to selling the centrifuge designs to Libya. I wonder that was the objective of his group. If it is, god save u.
@huzaifa: "Once some body is stopped form getting its legal right of survival, that country or nation try for it by any means. " That makes a mockery of acts and their consequences. But, Pakistanis think that they are immune to such laws of nature because, as Muslims, they are a "chosen" people. Well, you are "chosen" for sure - chosen to be excluded, that is.
The NS group must understand that why the Dr Abdul Qadeer group was established, Onle , due to inaccessibility of Pakistan to the Nuclear technology. Once some body is stopped form getting its legal right of survival, that country or nation try for it by any means. So, PLease give Pakistan the due right with out indiscrimination.
Always wanting to be the exception and never "getting it."
I think that Pakistan will be waiting for Hell to freeze over before it gets NSG membership. Proliferating nukes wantonly and then demanding access to nuclear technology is laughable. I hear Pakistan is also demanding drones for itself too. Sure, keep dreaming. If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride.
Speech might get a better reception if Pakistan wasn't implicated in selling nuke technology to N Korea, Iran and Libya --- there is a well deserved "trust deficit" that Pakistan may find impossible to overcome.