By IANS,
New Delhi : Signalling a radical departure from Pakistan’s nuclear doctrine, President Asif Ali Zardari Saturday said his country will never be the first to use nuclear weapons and expressed readiness to accept a South Asian Non-Nuclear Treaty.
“I am against nuclear warfare altogether,” Zardari replied, when asked if Pakistan would adopt the policy of no-first-use of nuclear weapons.
He was addressing the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit here via vidoeconferencing from Islamabad.
“Most definitely. We hope we will never get into that position (of using nuclear weapons). I am for a South Asian Non-nuclear Treaty.
“I can get my parliament to agree to it right away. Can you (India) get your parliament to agree to it?” he asked.
Both India and Pakistan are nuclear weapon states. India announced a no-first-use policy soon after the 1998 nuclear tests.