Pakistan warns against Indian nuclear tests

[Neo]

Pakistan warns against Indian nuclear tests

ISLAMABAD, Aug 20: Expressing serious concern over possible resumption of nuclear tests by India, Pakistan on Monday warned that it would review unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing if India resumed tests.

“Pakistan does not want a nuclear arms race in the region but at the same time it is committed to maintaining a credible minimum deterrence in the interest of strategic balance, which is vital for regional peace,” Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam told a press briefing here on Monday.

She said Pakistan took assertions of the Indian leadership about the possibility of resuming nuclear tests seriously.

Alluding to statements emanating from New Delhi that India’s right to conduct tests will not be undermined by a bilateral civilian nuclear deal with the United States, she said these should be a source of concern not just for Pakistan but also for the international community.

She pointed out that such statements were coming at a time when India’s ‘civil nuclear energy deal’ with US was to augment New Delhi’s nuclear capability and give it access to the latest technology.

Ms Aslam said Pakistan continued to maintain unilateral moratorium on testing and had proposed to India a bilateral nuclear test ban treaty. She said the resumption of nuclear tests by India would create a serious situation and Pakistan would have to review its position and take action consistent with its supreme national interests.

About the Australian decision to sell uranium to India, the spokesperson said any development that disturbed strategic balance in South Asia was a matter of vital concern to Pakistan.

She said Pakistan had repeatedly been emphasising that in order to meet its energy needs, it had procurement plans which included the development of nuclear power plants.

She, however, added that Pakistan wanted to develop nuclear power under international safeguards.

She hoped that the nuclear suppliers group would understand Pakistan’s requirements as well. She urged the group to adopt a criteria-based approach for nuclear cooperation.

She said that US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte would be coming to Pakistan on Sept 11 to lead his country’s delegation to the second round of strategic dialogue encompassing a whole range of bilateral relations and cooperation.

Responding to a question, the spokesperson said Pakistan would not become party to any efforts to destabilise Iran.

She said Pakistan was taking steps to ensure safety and security of all foreigners including Chinese nationals in the country, adding that Chinese living in Pakistan were making great contribution to the economic development of the country.

The spokesperson said Pakistan had so far released 2,823 Indians and India had released 834 Pakistani prisoners.

She said that on Aug 13 Pakistan had released 134 Indians and was expecting India to release 100 prisoners and sent a list of 24 civilians and 48 fishermen. But instead of 24, only 22 civilians were released.

She said 150 Pakistanis were still languishing in Indian jails, but consular access was not being provided to Pakistan’s Mission to India.

Pakistan warns against Indian nuclear tests -DAWN - Top Stories; August 21, 2007

[Bull]

Now who is whining...?

[AgNoStIc MuSliM]

Originally Posted by Bull

Now who is whining...?

Expressing concern about nuclear weapons tests by a "hostile neighbor" is a little different from complaining about SMG sales to Vietnam.

[malaymishra123]

Agonistic Muslim, did you consider it whining when Musharraf publicly asked Bush for a same deal and grumbled not so lightly about it being offered to India?

Its the same thing. Whining so that your rival gains nothing, its quite normal.

[AgNoStIc MuSliM]

Originally Posted by malaymishra123

Agonistic Muslim, did you consider it whining when Musharraf publicly asked Bush for a same deal and grumbled not so lightly about it being offered to India?

Its the same thing. Whining so that your rival gains nothing, its quite normal.

Still a difference. In one case you are arguing and complaining against double standards, in the other there is a deliberate attempt to undermine another country by preventing competitive trade between that country and another. India was not complaining that Vietnam had decided to just cut out India from any weapons deals whatsoever, India does not manufacture those particular weapons. India was complaining against the sale period. There is a subtle difference. Whether or not this is the norm for a geo-political/strategic tug of war is a different issue.

[Neo]

Asking Russia to stop engin supply to Pakistan is whining
Asking USA to stop selling weapons to Pakistan is whining

Developping nukes to stay par with China is not whining, its your right as much as its our to stay par with India and stand up against nuclear apartheid.

[Bull]

Originally Posted by Neo

Asking Russia to stop engin supply to Pakistan is whining
Asking USA to stop selling weapons to Pakistan is whining

Developping nukes to stay par with China is not whining, its your right as much as its our to stay par with India and stand up against nuclear apartheid.

Crying that Pakistan didnt get a fair deal in WoT
Crying about Pakistani sacrifices for WoT
Crying about Kashmir anywhere and everwhere

list just continues...

[AgNoStIc MuSliM]

Originally Posted by Bull

Crying that Pakistan didnt get a fair deal in WoT

Not sure what you mean.

Crying about Pakistani sacrifices for WoT

In response to accusations that almost a hundred thousand soldiers are apparently sight seeing in the Tribal areas.

Crying about Kashmir anywhere and everwhere

It is disputed territory, we are advocating and lobbying in favor of our position on it.

list just continues...

Doesn't mean it's accurate.

[Neo]

New round of N-tests?

PAKISTAN has done well to make its position clear on the possibility of fresh nuclear tests by India. One sticking point in the Indo-American nuclear agreement, which has been under scrutiny from the two sides for nearly two years, is a possible resumption of nuclear tests by India. An American interpretation is that fresh tests will forfeit India’s right to US nuclear technology. India’s interest in a new series of nuclear tests is now becoming increasingly clear. If it were not so, the issue would not have become so controversial in the crucial negotiations with Washington. Certain political parties which are part of the ruling coalition in India are opposed to the nuclear deal with Washington, but the indications are that ultimately the Manmohan Singh government will survive, and the Indo-US agreement will be clinched. Given the grave implications the Indo-American deal has for peace in South Asia, Pakistan cannot ignore it. Islamabad had been pleading for long with the US for adopting an even-handed approach on the nuclear question, but Washington — never missing an opportunity to put Islamabad under pressure so as to get the maximum out of it — turned a deaf ear. Pakistan had also been saying for a long time that the deal would increase India’s capability to divert its civilian nuclear resources into military channels, leading to a strategic imbalance in South Asia.

On Monday, the Foreign Office spokesperson made it clear that Pakistan would reconsider its unilateral moratorium on nuclear tests if India started testing a new generation of nuclear weapons. As history shows, it is India which introduced nuclear weapons in South Asia, and Pakistan merely reacted to Indian moves. The first nuclear test in South Asia was conducted by India in 1974, near Pakistan’s border, thus forcing Islamabad to draw up plans to acquire nuclear technology. Twenty-four years later, India again carried out several nuclear tests, again close to Pakistan’s border in Rajasthan, leaving Islamabad with no choice but to demonstrate its own nuclear capability. Since then, the two sides have had the good sense not to flex their nuclear muscles. However, the inevitable consequences of the “civil nuclear deal” between America and India will be that the former will give the latter the latest nuclear technology, thus enabling New Delhi to hone its nuclear skills, build more sophisticated nuclear weapons and add to the number of WMDs at its disposal. If, therefore, Islamabad responds to the Indian provocation and resumes testing, Washington will have to shoulder the blame for following policies that led to a new nuclear arms race in South Asia.

As the Foreign Office spokesperson pointed out, Pakistan did not want an arms race and was committed to maintaining “a credible minimum deterrence” so as to maintain the strategic balance in South Asia. A resumption of nuclear testing by India is an issue that the international community should take note of. More important, a nuclear test by India and a response by Pakistan are bound to disturb the on-going normalisation process between the two countries. While America and some other aid donors may slap a new layer of sanctions on the two countries, the real sufferers will be the South Asian people, who will have to face the consequences of the diversion of resources into military channels which could have been spent on development.

DAWN - Editorial; August 22, 2007

[malaymishra123]

Originally Posted by AgNoStIc MuSliM

Still a difference. In one case you are arguing and complaining against double standards, in the other there is a deliberate attempt to undermine another country by preventing competitive trade between that country and another.

Im sorry, but there is attempt to prevent competitive trade. Pakistan has proliferated nuclear technology to many countries, and India has not. Its obvious that India will get the nuclear technology and Pakistan will not. Pakistan cannot hope to get even treatment from the world along with India. The time is long gone when Pakistan and India were treated equally, dont even expect that now.

[A.Rahman]

Originally Posted by malaymishra123

Pakistan has proliferated nuclear technology to many countries, and India has not.

Wakeup and smell the coffee.

http://www.defence.pk/forums/indian-...iferation.html

[Officer of Engineers]

Oh man, I can't believe none of you are seeing through this. This is an attempt by Pakistan to kill the 123 Agreement by goading India into at least reserving the right to do nuke tests.

[malaymishra123]

Originally Posted by Officer of Engineers

Oh man, I can't believe none of you are seeing through this. This is an attempt by Pakistan to kill the 123 Agreement by goading India into at least reserving the right to do nuke tests.

There is nothing that cannot be seen here. That is obvious enough. And India cannot reserve its right to conduct nuke tests in an agreement, its already there.

Let me say this, India has the right to conduct nuclear tests, and US has the right to respond. India cannot be curtailed legally from conducting any nuclear tests. The thing is that India can test a nuke and US can close down the 123 agreement, thats it. At the end of the day, after the deal has been closed, India would still be better off than what it was before.

[malaymishra123]

Originally Posted by A.Rahman

Wakeup and smell the coffee.

http://www.defence.pk/forums/indian-...iferation.html

Please dont give me that crappy link and what that ridiculously moronic writer publishes on the internet because no decent magazine will print his stuff.

If you still insist that the stupid thing you have shown above accounts as proof, let me rephrase the statement: The Rest of the World apart from Pakistan thinks that India has not proliferated nuclear technology and Pakistan has. Now who gives a damn whether you think that this is not fair treatment or whatever. In the end, you will have to face the reality.

And please, dont give me that cliche : "Wakeup and smell the coffee.". Its quite irritating.

[intruder]

Originally Posted by Neo

stand up against nuclear apartheid.

Wow, Neo bother to explain