Pakistan Wednesday reiterated its concerns over the United
States-India civilian nuclear cooperation deal, following the
approval of a draft bill on the agreement by the US House of
Representatives' International Relations Committee.
In response to a question about the approval of the draft,
Pakistani Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam said that
Pakistan's position, especially its concerns on the US-India
agreement, were well-known, according to the official APP news
agency.
"We have cautioned the international community about the
consequences of this agreement for the shared objectives of
stability in South Asia and a strong global non-proliferation
regime," she said.
"We have already stated that 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, with a view to preventing a nuclear arms race in
the region and promoting restraints while ensuring that the
legitimate needs of both countries for civilian nuclear power
generation are met," she said.
The spokesperson stressed, "Pakistan does not accept any
discriminatory treatment."
"While we will continue to act with responsibility in
maintaining minimum credible deterrence and to avoid an arms race,
we will remain fully committed to our security requirements and the
needs of our economic development which demand growth in the energy
sector including civilian nuclear power generation," she added.
(Xinhua News Agency June 29, 2006)
