‘Pakistan ready to formally engage with NSG’

Islamabad

Pakistan is ready to formally engage with the Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG) for presenting its detailed credentials (its export control and management regime, its nuclear supplier capabilities and the history of its engagement with NSG) for participating in NSG, says DG SASSI, Dr Maria Sultan.

On the eve of extra-ordinary plenary of NSG held on June at Vienna, Sassi organised a seminar on NSG - Industry Outreach. It was attended by a number of experts, officials of the concerned government ministries and departments, policy researchers, industry representatives and media personnel who discussed the issues, challenges, and priorities of Pakistan’s energy sector at length. Also attending were Khalid Iqbal Malik, President of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), and Tahir Ayub, Vice President of the ICCI.

Dr. Maria Sultan, Chairperson & DG (Sassi), gave a presentation on “Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG) Criteria Based Approach and its Implications on High-Tech Trade: A Case for Pakistan’s membership”.

The presentation at SASSI described the case of Pakistan’s application for membership of NSG in detail. The presentation highlighted that India does not fulfill the conditions which are mandatory for NSG’s membership which includes: Separation of military and civilian fuel cycle, placement of all civilian nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards, Indian fast breeder reactor programme, independent regulatory authority, export control regulations, illicit procumbent, illicit trafficking and procumbent diversion of civil nuclear assistance for weapon use were identified as areas India is conveniently ignoring.

Dr. Maria highlighted several nuclear incidents and few accidents over the years i.e. Mayapuri Radiation Accident in West Delhi in 2010 which was of level 4 on International Nuclear and Radiation Event Scale (INES), eight people were hospitalised as a result of radiation exposure, and they later one died. She said Pakistan has good record of Non-Proliferation Credentials, Current Nuclear Energy Production, Nuclear Power Reactors Under Construction and Planned Safety And Security of Nuclear Power Plants.

She said no matter how much India wants to enter a different league, the fact is that fact remains that their cases remain hyphenated. If India resolves outstanding disputes and stands with Pakistan as an equal regional partner, only then it can seek to address its ‘prestige complex.’ She gave details of Indian nuclear facilities, India’s nuclear power reactors under construction, India Nuclear Helpers, and Indian entities sanctioned by US. 

While talking about Pakistan’s engagement with NSG, she said that Pakistan’s engagement with NSG predates 2003 and since 2011 concerted efforts are aimed at NSG membership, and outreach meetings with NSG  were arranged in 2011 (Vienna), 2013 (Ankara), 2015 (Vienna).

She concluded that Pakistan has been engaged with NSG for almost a decade and is now ready to formally engage with the Group for presenting its detailed credentials.