Now Pakistan wants Australian uranium

Melbourne, July 27: Pakistan has urged Australia to sell uranium to the South Asian country.

The request has come through a statement by a senior Pakistani government minister saying if Australia is considering selling uranium to India, then Pakistan should also get to buy the crucial nuclear fuel from the South Pacific nation.

Pakistani Minister Muhammad Ijaz-ul-Haq, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Lateline programme, ''Pakistan should be considered alongside India when countries who are working in this region, they have to keep the balance of power in this region.'' The statement of Pak Minister for religious affairs has come on the heels of Australia expressing its willingness to lift a moratorium of uranium sale to the non-signatories of Nuclear Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

The massive shift in policy has come as Australia's Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer has indicated selling uranium to a non-signatory of NPT, India.

Besides India, Australia has also been refusing to sell uranium to Pakistan as doubts have been raised about the integrity of the nuclear programme of India's neighbour.

The Pakistani Minister, known to have soft corner for Islamist extremist elements, has asked for the uranium for 'totally peaceful' nuclear program of his country, ''If we are going to go further into nuclear it is going to be for energy, because we are suffering from power shortages.'' Ironically, the Religious Affairs Minister's comments have come on the same day, when Pakistan announced successfully test-firing its nuclear-capable radar-dodging cruise missile.

UNI