Pakistan not paranoid of nuclear deal between India and US

London, Mar 9: Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz asserted that his country was not 'paranoid' about the nuclear pact between India and the United States.

''Between India and Pakistan we have lots of similarities and differences. Pakistan knows what it wants and what is good for itself and we are not paranoid about what other countries are doing in our neighbourhood,'' Mr Aziz said in an exclusive interview to CNN, which will be telecast at 2200 hrs gmt (0330 hrs ist on Friday).

''I don't think it's a question of one country versus the other, each country will pursue options that suit their national interest,'' he added when asked on the nuclear cooperation between the world's largest and oldest democracy.

On the nuclear status with the US the prime minister said: ''Our relationship with the United States is a long-standing one, and in the issue of energy, Pakistan has programmed to develop its energy resources and we are in touch with many countries in the world, we have various sources of energy coming.'' Eventhough Mr Aziz admitted that Pakistan's credibility was dented after the A Q Khan involvement in nuclear proliferation with Iran, the prime minister was optimist of entering into a nuclear cooperation pact with the US.

The ''A Q Khan episode could affect the credibility of Pakistan but this is a single act by one individual long time ago and as you know we have cooperated with the IAEA in sharing information and Pakistan treats this chapter as closed,'' Mr Aziz said.

''We now have a strong command and control system and mechanisms to avoid individual acts like this happening again in the future,'' he noted.

On bilateral relations with Afghanistan, Mr Aziz said: ''Pakistan and Afghanistan have shared a lot of information on security. And let me also say that its in the interest of Pakistan to have a strong, stable, vibrant Afghanistan because if in our neighbourhood, if we have a country which is strong, stable and growing, it helps us.'' The trade with Afghanistan is at an all time high of one and a half billion dollars, it used to be 25 million dollars five years ago, he added.

''It is in our interest to work with the Afghan government and President Karzai to create an environment where there is security and growth and prosperity in Afghanistan, Mr Aziz noted.

Mr Aziz stressed that it was Pakistan's conviction to root out terrorism.

''We are opposed to terrorism; we think terrorism is not good for the world,'' he said.

''We think all countries need to do more to fight this menace and we are not doing it to please anybody, we are doing it because

we believe that this is better for a safer world. It is better for all of us, for our next generation that we fight terrorism.''

On the capture of Osama bin Laden and his associates, Mr Aziz admitted that '' the world doesn't know where they are''. ''All reports on them are speculative and with all the technology and intelligence resources, which the world has addressed, to find out where they are we were unable to find them,'' he noted. ''I think the day people know where they are the world will go after them we are all looking but so far we are unable to find out where they are, Mr Aziz added.

To meet Pakistan's energy needs the prime minister said that Islamabad was pursuing comprehensive energy strategy to build water reservoirs, generate hydro-electricity, generate thermal electricity from gas and also nuclear power.

''We have nuclear reactors that produce electricity and we have a plan to expand them and we are getting these reactors from friendly countries and this programme will grow,'' Mr Aziz noted.

UNI