Indo-US N-deal to disturb regional stability: Pak

Islamabad, Aug 2: Pakistan today said the Indo-US nuclear agreement would enable New Delhi to produce significant quantities of fissile material and nuclear weapons from unsafeguarded nuclear reactors.

The observation came as the National Command Authority (NCA) met President General Pervez Musharraf here today, to review matters related to Pakistan's nuclear power programme.

''The objective of strategic stability in South Asia and the global non-proliferation regime would have been better served if the United States had considered a package approach for Pakistan and India, the two non-NPT Nuclear Weapons States,'' the meeting noted.

Attended by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, Chairman and Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, Armed Forces Chief and a few federal ministers, the meeting observed that a package approach would have prevented a nuclear arms' race in the region and promoted restraints, while ensuring that the legitimate needs of both countries for civil nuclear power generation are met.

The US has already refused to cooperate with Pakistan in peaceful uses of nuclear energy apparently because of the involvement of its scientists in proliferating nuclear techology to Iran, Libya and North Korea, a few years ago.

Pakistan, which needs 8,800 MW of electricity by year 2025, has been seeking cooperation from the US and the Nuclear Suppliers' Group in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

The NCA reviewed Pakistan's objective and plans for civil nuclear power generation under IAEA safeguards, which is a part of the overall energy strategy to meet the requirements of economic growth in the country. "This objective will be pursued on a priority basis especially in view of the increasing oil prices," an official statement issued after the meeting, said.

The NCA reiterated Pakistan's position that the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) should evolve a criteria based approach to enable Pakistan to access civil nuclear energy under IAEA safeguards to meet its growing energy requirements.

"Pakistan has always fulfilled all its international IAEA safeguard requirements for its nuclear power reactors, and is ready to accept innovative bilateral and multilateral approaches for establishment of power plants under appropriate safeguards, including nuclear power parks," the meeting stressed.

While continuing to act with responsibility in maintaining credible minimum deterrence and avoiding an arms' race, Pakistan will neither be oblivious to its security requirements, nor to the needs of its economic development which demand growth in the energy sector, it said.

The NCA expressed satisfaction at the current state of Pakistan's strategic deterrence and expressed firm resolve to meet the requirements of future credible minimum deterrence.

The NCA also reviewed the current status of negotiations on disarmament issues in the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, including the proposed FMCT. It reiterated Pakistan's position in favour of a non-discriminatory, multilateral and internationally and effectively verifiable treaty, taking into account the security concerns of all states.

UNI