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Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Indian N-deal exceeds brief to Pakistan: FO

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: The civilian nuclear technology cooperation agreement between India and the United States was “quite different” to what Washington had been conveying to Islamabad, the Foreign Office said on Monday.

FO spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam contradicted a statement made by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to the US House Foreign Relations Committee that Pakistan had been kept informed all along as the US negotiated a civilian nuclear technology cooperation deal with India.

She told a weekly press briefing that Islamabad wanted Washington to adopt a “package approach” towards Pakistan and India because Pakistan also had energy requirements. She said the agreement might have implications for strategic stability in the region, and it was discriminatory because both Pakistan and India are nuclear weapons state. Aslam said Pakistan was disappointed that India had not responded to its proposal for a nuclear restraint regime in the region. Pakistan is also ready to participate in negotiations on a fissile materials treaty, Aslam said.

The spokeswoman said Pakistan had protested to India over the killing of a Pakistani fisherman. An Indian High Commission official was summoned to the Foreign Office to protest.

The fisherman was killed when his boat was attacked by an Indian coastguard vessel and helicopter on March 18 in Pakistan’s territorial waters, she said.

To another question, she said Pakistan was not in a position to sign the convention on landmines because it has specific defence requirements due to its long borders.

Asked to comment on a statement by US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Richard Boucher about democracy in Pakistan, she said it was a matter for the government and people of Pakistan.

To a question about the American request for observer status in the South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), she said the SAARC standing committee would meet in Dhaka on Tuesday to consider the question of setting criteria for admission of observers. China and Japan have also applied for observer status.

About Iran, she said Pakistan was against military action and “we don’t want any more instability in the region”.
Courtesy DailyTimes.com.pk


 


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