advertisement
Pakistan on Saturday said it has “strong credentials” to become a member of the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group, arguing it has streamlined and strengthened its export control regime.
Over the years, Pakistan has streamlined and strengthened its export control regime and enhanced its engagement with multilateral export control regimes, Fatemi said in a statement.
Pakistan laid its claim to be a responsible member of the global nuclear community unmindful of the fact that the international community is yet to recover from the dreaded A Q Khan network of nuclear proliferation.
The country has been lobbying hard to become a member of the NSG, the 48-member nuclear club, whose members can trade in and export nuclear technology.
Pakistan has been saying that if it is deprived of NSG membership while India is accommodated, it would be taken as discrimination and lead to an imbalance in the region. Its National Command Authority has noted with concern India’s rapidly expanding conventional military asymmetry and dangerous limited conventional war policy called the ‘Cold Start’ doctrine.
Fatemi, while describing Pakistan as a responsible nuclear state, also said his country takes nuclear security very seriously and accords it the highest priority in its security construct.
Pakistan, he said, is strongly committed to the objective of nuclear security and has been proactively engaged with the international community to promote nuclear safety and security.
Asserting that Pakistan believes that safe and sustainable civil nuclear energy is essential to advance its economic development plans, Fatemi said his country’s Energy Security Plan includes a Nuclear Power Programme 2050, to meet current energy shortfalls and future requirements of a growing population and economy.
Fatemi said Pakistan has an elaborate programme for harnessing peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
He added that Pakistan is proud to have more than 42 years’ experience in safe and secure operations of nuclear power plants under IAEA safeguards.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)