Keep in mind Pak's track record of clandestine proliferation: India to US

New Delhi, Mar 22 (PTI) With the US expressing
willingness to discuss a civil nuclear deal with Pakistan,
India Monday made clear its reservations against such a move
and asked the Obama administration to keep in mind Pakistan's
track record of clandestine proliferation.
"I think, the US would always look into the track
record of every country with which they are going for certain
understanding or signing a treaty," India's External Affairs
Minister S M Krishna told reporters.
"I am sure that the US will constantly remember that
the proliferation of nuclear weapons was because of certain
indiscretions of certain countries and more particularly
Pakistan and the clandestine activities which they carried
on," he said.
He said this aspect "will have to be kept in mind...I
am sure the US will".
The comment came in the wake of US Ambassador to
Pakistan Anne Patterson reportedly saying the US was
"beginning to have a discussion with the Pakistan government"
on the country's desire to tap nuclear energy.
She noted that earlier America's "non-proliferation
concerns were quite severe" but "I think we are beginning to
pass those and this is a scenario that we are going to
explore".
Patterson said "working level talks" on the issue
would be held in Washington this month.
The statement marks a significant shift in the US
position as it had earlier repeatedly turned down Pakistan's
pleas for India-type civil nuclear deal, arguing that
Pakistan's track record was not as good as that of India,
which had a strong history of non-proliferation.
As India keeps a close watch on the developments,
official sources said "We hope international community would
strike the right balance between meeting energy needs of any
country while taking on board its track record with regard to
proliferation of nuclear technology and weapons of mass
destruction."
When asked, US Ambassador to India Timothy J Roemer
refused to comment on Patterson's remarks, saying he was
working full time on implementation of the Indo-US nuclear
deal.
The US move invited strong reactions from political
parties here, with BJP and the Left asking it to reconsider
any such initiative.
"I feel that it (nuclear deal between US and Pakistan)
is a very sensitive issue. The US should think whether this
help is going to create more terrorism in the world,"
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari said.
Noting that Pakistan supports terrorism, he said there
would be problems for the world if the US gives nuclear
technology or defence help to it.
Communist Party of India (CPI) leader D Raja said the
US move reflected its "very narrow, selfish vested interests".
He said the US had so far been encouraging arms race
but now it is going to promote nuclear arms race because of
its "large business interest".
Contending that he was not surprised by such a move of
the US, Raja said India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and
the government "cannot be so naive not to understand the US'
global strategy" which is seen in play in South Asia as well.
PTI PYK