Have declared unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing: Pakistan

UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan said it has declared a unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing and has been forthcoming in offering to translate this into a bilateral arrangement on non-testing with India.

"It is in the interest of all states to prevent proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) to states as well as non-state actors," Pakistan's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Nabeel Munir said at the Security Council debate on proliferation of weapons of mass destruction by non-State actors here yesterday.

Listing the steps taken by Pakistan to fulfill its non-proliferation obligations, he said Pakistan has elaborated and implemented a comprehensive export control regime, harmonised with those of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR).

"We have declared a unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing and have been forthcoming in offering to translate this into a bilateral arrangement on non-testing with India," he said.

He claimed that Pakistan's credentials clearly establish its eligibility to become a member of the NSG.

"The grant of waivers to long held non-proliferation norms and rules carries obvious proliferation risks and also undermine regional strategic stability. It is critical that an equitable, nondiscriminatory and criteria-based approach to promote civil nuclear cooperation and membership of export controls regimes, in particular that of the NSG, is adopted," he said.