Bilateral working group: ‘US reluctant to seal civilian nuclear deal’
Pakistani officials asked to sign Fissile Material Cut Treaty instead.
ISLAMABAD:
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.
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.