Pak did not oppose India-US civil nuclear deal, says Zardari

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has said that his country had not opposed the India-US civil nuclear deal, so he expects the same from others.

“We complement the close ties between India and USA. When India was going with civil nuclear deal with USA we did not oppose it, so we did not mind that our friends have influence on other friends and we expect the same from others,” The News quoted Zardari, as saying.

China has offered to set up two 650 megawatts nuclear reactors in Pakistan’s Punjab’s Chasma province’, over which both the US and India have raised serious concerns.

Questions and concerns have been raised and aired by New Delhi about the proposed sale of reactors to Pakistan by China.

India’s main apprehension is whether or not these reactors would be the “grandfather” of previous reactors supplied to Pakistan.

India also believes there is a need to meet Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) guidelines, even though it is not against Pakistan developing its economic sector.

China, which has been a member of the NSG since 2004, is required to seek an exemption from the 45-nation grouping that controls global flow of nuclear technology and material before supplying reactors to Pakistan.

Pakistan has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

China insists the sale of two nuclear reactors to Islamabad is in accordance with its international obligations. There are however, chances of NSG countries coming together to let Beijing go through this “grandfather” of deals.

India is not an NSG member and is strictly opposed to this “grandfather” formula promoted by Beijing. New Delhi also has reservations over expanding nuclear ties between all weather friends Pakistan and China.

It should be noted that the 45-member NSG had granted a waiver to India to facilitate a civil nuclear deal with the United States in 2008, even though it was not a signatory to the NPT. (ANI)