Pakistan seeks civil nuclear tech

The participants in the Seoul summit have reached agreement that the countries that are using nuclear power will have made public their specific moves to minimize the use of highly enriched uranium by the late 2013. The summit communique points out that IAEA will continue to play central role in consolidating nuclear security.

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Pakistan participation in the Global Nuclear Safety Summit offered immense opportunity to counter negative propaganda against the country’s nuclear programme and assets and to highlight its point of view on related issues. Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani seems to be fully aware of the responsibilities in this regard as his departure statement and engagements in Seoul indicate he is actively pursuing the objective of apprising the summit about Pakistan’s expertise in secure management of its nuclear infrastructure, which give legitimacy to its claim for access to civilian nuclear technology and membership of the export control regimes.

Critics of Pakistan’s nuclear programme have all along been focusing on safety and security aspects of its programme and assets forgetting the fact that there occurred neither any theft of any material or any accident as the world community has witnessed in the cases of even countries like Russia, Japan and the United States. This itself is a manifestation of the safety and security procedures being adopted by Pakistan. Otherwise too, Pakistan badly needs international cooperation in civilian nuclear technology to give boost to its plans to increase share of the nuclear power in the energymix of the country, which offers a way out of the existing crippling crisis. As the Prime Minister was leaving for Seoul on Sunday, there were protests and demonstrations in about a dozen cities of the country against prolong load-shedding that has impact on incomes of the individuals and the overall economy. A financially poor country like Pakistan cannot afford the luxury of running its power plants perpetually on oil the prices of which are continuously on the rise and therefore, its desire for safe, dependable and environment friendly nuclear power should be understood by the world community in its right perspective. There is need to understand not only the growing energy crises but its linkages to economic instability, political developments and as well the security compulsions of Pakistan. A stable prosperous Pakistan is necessary for promoting peace and stability around the whole world. Pakistan does have fulfilled its nuclear deterrence needs and it does not have hegemonic designs or intentions. Therefore, it does not need to misuse the nuclear technology provided for civilian purposes. Experts also point out that international cooperation with Pakistan to cope with energy crises shall contribute to the economic development which shall not only enhance state’s capability to fulfill basic needs of the Pakistani society but it shall also help channelise radical elements towards economic activity thus attaining peace and prosperity. It is therefore, needed that United States must not only itself cooperate with Pakistan but it must work to mobilize international community for the purpose.
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