By IANS,
Islamabad : The US and Pakistan are headed towards a confrontation over nuclear arms, warned a Pakistani daily.
An editorial in the News International Friday said the US plans to force Pakistan to sign the Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty and halt the production of nuclear bombs material.
“This has understandably caused much alarm in Pakistan.”
While noting that Pakistan and the US are heading towards confrontation yet again, “this time over nuclear arms”, the editorial observed: “The US-Pakistan relationship has challenges but remains strategically vital: this about sums up the relationship as it stands now…”
It said it seems that “Pakistan’s ultimate worth to the US – despite all posturing to the contrary – is becoming increasingly clear”.
“The Americans would rather have assistance from Pakistan – in the fight against terror in Pakistan and beyond in Afghanistan – than have that assistance cut off. It would rather that its spooks were allowed to do their work in Pakistan than that they were eased or pushed out,” it added.
It went on to say that “all this talk of ties reaching a fever pitch and threatening to explode eschews the fact that the US values its leverage over Pakistan and also realises…that leaving Pakistan now would mean a much bigger headache later”.
“Yes, Pakistan worries the Unites States. But for precisely that reason, the United States isn’t going to be able to ignore Pakistan’s interests anytime soon.”