Pakistan wants India-like nuclear deal with US: Karamat
Pakistan Times Foreign Desk Report

WASHINGTON (US): Pakistan should have the same access to US civilian nuclear technology that President George W Bush has proposed for India, the Pakistani ambassador to the United States said.

Jehangir Karamat, Pakistan’s former army chief also warned that "the balance of power in South Asia should not become so tilted in India’s favour, as a result of the US relationship with India, that Pakistan has to start taking extraordinary measures to ensure a capability for deterrence and defence."

The Bush administration is working to persuade Congress to approve a deal that would ship civilian nuclear technology to India in return for New Delhi’s placing its civilian facilities under safeguards of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog agenons technology.

Neither Pakistan nor India is a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the cornerstone of global efforts to control the spread of nuclear weapons.

Before nuclear technology can be shared with India, Congress must approve an exception to a US law that bans civilian nuclear cooperation with countries that have not submitted to the treaty’s full nuclear inspections.

Michael Krepon

Michael Krepon, a South Asia analyst at the Henry L Stimson Center, said that with India and Pakistan locked in a nuclear arms race, both are sensitive to perceived special treatment from the US. The neighbours have fought three wars since 1947, when they left the British Empire, and came close to another in 2002.

"This is a very serious competition," Krepon said. "If present trends continue, India and Pakistan could very well have greater nuclear capabilities than France and Great Britain, looking down the road."

Ambassador Karamat said Pakistani officials have yet to approach the Bush administration about civilian nuclear energy cooperation, but Pakistan plans eventually to broach the subject. He mentioned the strong military ties between the two countries, which include US training Pakistani soldiers and selling weapons to Pakistan.

The F-16s

Pakistan has requested between 75 and 100 US F-16 fighter jets, Karamat said, although the two sides haven’t yet settled the specific number or cost. Two of the jets will be shipped in December, he said, but a price has not been determined.

The ambassador acknowledged widespread criticism of Pakistan’s nuclear programme, especially "concerns on proliferation". Karamat added "I think that those concerns have been largely met and satisfied.

The whole structure on the ground for physical security and control of those (nuclear) assets and the various steps that have been taken to prevent accidents and illegal transfers — those are now foolproof, and the US is aware of that."

Karamat served as army chief from 1996 to 1998.

When asked if he knew of AQ Khan’s nuclear network then, he said: "There was no question of ever even thinking that such a thing could be happening. ... Indulging this activity would have been totally counterproductive to everything we were trying to do."●