By NNN-APP
Islamabad : Pakistan’s position on Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty is very clear and it considers nuclear deterrence an indispensable part of its security, Foreign Office said on Monday.
“Our position on NPT is very clear,” Foreign Office spokesperson Ms Tasnim Aslam said in response to a statement by Japanese Defence Minister who expressed her country’s desire that Pakistan may join the NPT regime.
At the weekly press briefing here, the spokesperson said the statement by Japanese minister could only be regarded as Japan’s desire in the context of its view of global non-proliferation.
She said Pakistan was offered to enter the NPT regime along with India after the latter conducted first nuclear tests in 1974, however, the initiative did not receive the required response.
She said again after 1998’s Indian nuclear tests, Pakistan had to demonstrate its nuclear capability to restore the strategic balance.
The spokesperson also recalled Director General IAEA’s statement that non-proliferation needed to accommodate the ground realities.
“Since the nuclear weapons in these states is a reality, it is better for the credibility of this (NPT) regime that there should be some kind of accommodation,” the IAEA official was quoted as saying.
On Siachen, the Foreign Office spokesperson said Pakistan would like to see an early solution to the issue apart from the fact that it had been a long-standing dispute with India.
“What is required is political will to resolve the issue,” Ms Aslam said, adding the lingering Siachen dispute was also raising environmental concerns.
She said Pakistan had made some proposals on Siachen, and added “we presume that India is also interested to resolve the issue.”
The spokesperson said the talks on Wullar Barrage would be held on August 30-31 as part of the fourth round of composite dialogue.
“Whenever we approach a talk or discussion on an issue that we are keen to resolve with India, we do it with positive, open mind and we would like to see a solution to this issue,” the spokesperson said.
On trade across the Line of Control, Ms Aslam said there had been some discussion with India, and Pakistan believed that the two countries were moving in the right direction.