Pakistan-China N-cooperation

[Neo]

Pakistan-China N-cooperation

Thursday, 21 Oct, 2010

Pakistan was elected chairman of the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The election, by consensus, will be for the year 2011-2012.

This impressive diplomatic achievement of the Pakistani delegates in Vienna has frustrated anti-Pakistan forces. They have intensified their campaign against Pakistan-China nuclear cooperation.

India and the US object that this deal will breach the international protocol regarding the trade of nuclear equipment and material.

The US also says hat this deal will overstep “the guidelines of the 46-country Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), which bars nuclear commerce between NPT members like China and non-member states like Pakistan”.

It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan-China nuclear deal was concluded in 1986, when China was neither a member of the NSG nor it had signed the NPT.

China signed the NPT in 1992 and became the member of the NSG in 2004. By 2004, almost ¾th progress had already been made on the deal between Pakistan and China. Therefore, neither of the two is applicable in case of this deal.

Pakistan is in a great need of energy resources. Rising oil prices and depleting natural gas resources make it necessary for Pakistan to chalk out a long-term energy security policy.

In this context, Pakistan cannot choose to ignore the significance of nuclear energy in the 21st century. Pakistan has been acting as a responsible member of the IAEA.

It planned and announced that it will construct a few nuclear power plants with the assistance of nuclear supplier states.

Unfortunately, these states, except China, are not willing to transfer nuclear reactor technology and equipment to Pakistan. This discriminatory approach not only undermines Pakistan’s interests but is also detrimental for the credibility of nuclear non-proliferation regime.

DAWN.COM | Letters to the Editor | Pakistan-China N-cooperation