N-deals should not be country-specific: Pak
20 March, 2006
WASHINGTON, March 20(Online): Days after introduction of a bill in American Congress seeking its approval for implementation of the Indo-US nuclear deal, Pakistan has said there should be a package for both neighbours and not country-specific pacts on a subject as critical as nuclear technology, in the interest of balance of power in South Asia.
"We do understand and appreciate the under-pinnings of the US’ de-hyphenated policy in South Asia, but this should not be leaning so heavily on one side," Pakistani Ambassador to Washington Jehangir Karamat said in a statement, reacting to the bill which was introduced in the US Senate and House of Representatives on Thursday.
President Pervez Musharraf has said that "our security policy is no longer India-centric. He has also emphasised minimum deterrence as a pillar of our policy, and has said, that we do not want an arms race with India," Karamat maintained. "Earlier, we had tabled ’Reciprocal Restraint’ as a concept which could be bilaterally discussed. We hope, US policy will take these aspects into consideration. It is also our hope that US policy will not be based on transitory and evolving trends, but rather, on relationships that are maturing in these fluid situations," he said.
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