General Assembly statement: PM urges UN session on N-disarmament

Says consensus must be forged among all states.


Fayyaz Walana/our Correspondent September 26, 2013
Nawaz Sharif speaking at UN meeting on nuclear disarmament in New York. PHOTO: ONLINE

NEW YORK/ ISLAMABAD:


Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif called on the international community to renew the global consensus on nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation and promotion of cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.


Speaking at a high-level UN General Assembly meeting on nuclear disarmament, the prime minister said, “Thirty-five years ago, this august Assembly reached a consensus on the mandate and machinery to pursue the disarmament agenda. With the passage of time, regrettably, this consensus has eroded; and the goals set have become elusive.”

He said that a consensus should be based on equity, balance, restraint and cooperation among all states. He also called on the General Assembly to convene a special session in this regard.

He called for an end to nuclear discrimination as he underscored that such policies have damaged the integrity of treaties and norms of non-proliferation. “Pakistan is committed to the goal of general and complete disarmament, which is global, non-discriminatory and verifiable”, he reiterated.

Outlining the salient features of Pakistan’s nuclear policy, the premier stressed on its guiding principles of restraint and responsibility. He said that Pakistan does not want an arms race in South Asia and the country would therefore continue to adhere to its policy of credible minimum deterrence.

Prime Minister Sharif told the dignitaries at the meeting that he chaired a meeting of the National Command Authority (NCA), which reaffirmed the country’s constructive strategic posture.

In the broader context of energy deficit in Pakistan, he called for the need to acquire energy from all sources, including nuclear. “As Prime Minister, I feel that energy deficit is one of the most serious crises facing Pakistan,” he maintained.

The premier underscored that Pakistan fully qualifies to have full access to civil nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. He said that Pakistan looks forward to international cooperation in nuclear energy under IAEA safeguards.

Apart from several heads of state and government, the UN General Assembly president, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and Iranian President Dr Hassan Rouhani, as NAM chairman, delivered statements at the meeting.


Published in The Express Tribune, September 27th, 2013.

COMMENTS (10)

Anwer | 10 years ago | Reply

Thank God he included energy crisis in his speech. We are more concerned about economic and terrorism issues. We should put our house right then later we can suggest measures for rest of the world.Nuclear disarmament is important but not for us at the moment where peoples are dying of hunger and bomb blasts,

Water Bottle | 10 years ago | Reply

Good idea.

You can start by adopting no-first-use policy.

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