Pakistan's proliferation track record should be considered before any nuke deal with it, warns India

NEW DELHI: India today voiced concern over reports of the US mulling a nuclear deal with Pakistan on the lines of Indo-US pact and cited Pakistan's nuclear proliferation record to oppose it.

"We have seen these reports and it is not for the first time this issue has surfaced. Whosoever is examining that particular dossier should be well aware of Pakistan's track record in the area of proliferation. And when India got this particular deal it was on the basis of our own impeccable non-proliferation track record.

"That is the reason US gave us 123 agreement in 2005 and that is why we got a NSG waiver in 2008. Pakistan's track record is completely different so we hope that will taken into account in making any such decision," Spokesperson in the External Affairs Ministry Vikas Swarup said, in an apparent reference to Pakistan and North Korea's nuclear arms program.

According to reports, North Korea obtained "many of the designs for gas centrifuges and much of the machinery" required to make highly enriched uranium for nuclear weapons from Pakistan, which in return got ballistic-missile parts from North Korea.

Ahead of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's visit to the US this month, a report in The Washington Post said the US is negotiating a pact on new limits on Pakistan's nuclear weapons and delivery systems, a deal that might lead to an agreement similar to the Indo-US civil nuclear deal.

"Pakistan has been asked to consider what are described as 'brackets'," the report quoted a source familiar with the talks between the two countries as saying.

To a separate query on whether Pakistan had asked India for a meeting between the two foreign ministers along with the meeting of their NSAs as was proposed by India on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, the Spokesperson said, "Yes. There was an issue of sequencing... We are committed to the Ufa understandings.

"The understandings are very clear and that is two (Indo- Pak) National Security Advisors are to meet to discuss all issues connected to terrorism. The DG BSF and the Pak Rangers and the DGMOs are to meet to sort out the issues on the border. The firings and disturbance on the border...

"And we have told that we are ready for the NSA-level dialogue. Last time Pakistan walked out of it... but we are committed to this understanding," he said, adding where was a meeting between the foreign ministers as part of the agenda and understanding.

It is understood that Pakistan had pushed India for a meeting between their foreign ministers as a pre-condition for talks between their National Security Advisors which was turned down by the Indian side.