Bilateral working group: ‘US reluctant to seal civilian nuclear deal’
Pakistan has made a fresh request seeking a civilian nuclear deal with the US as part of efforts to meet the country’s growing energy demands.
The request was made during talks held here on Monday between Pakistani and US officials, The Express Tribune has learnt.
The meeting of what is called “Pakistan-US Security, Strategic Stability and Nonproliferation working group” was part of a continuing dialogue on a range of issues related to bilateral ties, said a joint statement issued after the talks.
Talks were co-chaired by Pakistan’s Additional Secretary for United Nations and Economic Coordination, Ambassador Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, and US acting Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Rose Gottemoeller.
A Pakistani official confirmed to The Express Tribune that the government raised the issue of access to civilian nuclear technology with the US.
However, world nuclear suppliers have so far refused to heed Pakistan’s call because of its track record due to the alleged involvement of the country’s ‘father of the nuclear bomb’ Dr AQ Khan in leaking the technology to other states.
The foreign ministry officials, however, argued that Pakistan has four-decades of experience and a well-established safety and security culture. Despite Pakistan’s fresh demands, the US appears to have shown no willingness.
Instead, according to sources, the US officials pressed Pakistan during talks to sign a controversial Fissile Material Cut Treaty (FMCT) that bans production of fissile materials to make an atomic bomb.
Pakistan has long resisted international pressure, arguing that it is impossible to agree to FMCT in its current form.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 11th, 2012.
COMMENTS (5)
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'alleged involvement'? ... that is part of the problem.
they actually believed that world would offer them nuke technology.
if this is not the height of delusion, than what is?
tell me a country which trusts Pakistani establishment or the state of Pakistan?...china? you got to be kidding me,
Says it all - end of story. The World doesn't trust you for a reason.
Come 2014, when Sanctions from US and NATO countries seem imminent, the prospect of signing of FMCT seems a lot more better.
FMCT is being blocked by Pakistan. US is not sanctioning Pakistan nor taking any economic action as they have dependency on Pakistan due to the Afghan war.
This dependency ends in 2014, when US will have only about 10,000 troops to service in Afghanistan and the Northern Distribution Network is sufficient to meet this demand. I am sure those 10k will be moved with 4 to 5 years out of Afghanistan. So in about 5 to 6 years US will have zero dependency on Pakistan, with a remarkable, substantial drop in 2014.
US sanctioned Iran and the value of the Iranian currency has more than doubled. Inflation is high and no country is willing to buy Iranian Oil, so much so that they are even reluctant to allow Pakistan to build a Iran-Pakistan pipeline by refusing to give the money for it.
Pakistan is no Iran. Iran has Oil, Pakistan has nothing. Add that to the sense of betrayal that most Americans feel at Pakistan, for having allowed the Taliban to escape into Pakistan and sheltering people like Osama, there is ever chance that US will sanction Pakistan.
When the sanctions come around, the already bankrupt economy of Pakistan will take a nose dive. Then signing FMCT will seem a lot more easier.