China-Pak nuke deal may not get NSG nod given Pak's past: US

New Delhi, Sept 24 (PTI) With China pressing ahead on
its controversial decision to supply two additional nuclear
reactors to Pakistan, the US Friday indicated that the deal
may not get the approval of the 46-nation Nuclear Suppliers
Group (NSG) given Islamabad's track record.

Asked if the US was concerned over China's plans to
supply additional reactors to Pakistan, US Ambassador to India
Timothy J Roemer said, "I am not sure it will happen in
Pakistan, given their track record. This is very important
issue in respect to China."
He also contrasted Pakistan's track record with India
and said the Indo-US civil nuclear partnership "says loudly
to the world community (that) we trust India given its track
record on the proliferation issues.
"One of the fundamental important issues for the US is
not only India's flawless track record and high-trust but also
the US efforts to try as Prime Minister Singh has said to
provide more inclusive growth to Indians..."
Significantly, US National Nuclear Security
Administration chief Thomas D'Agostino, while attending the
International Atomic Energy Agency General Conference in
Vienna, Austria earlier this week, said, "We look to engage
with China on these particular issues...my focus is to use the
framework of the mechanisms that we have in the NSG."
"We are going to use the NSG to the best of our
abilities and use all of the tools that we have in that forum
to address specific nuclear arrangements that are made,
whether it is with China, Pakistan or a variety of other
countries," D'Agostino said.
The US has argued the Pakistan-China deal would
require a waiver from the 46-member group, which seeks to
restrict atomic exports to countries that have signed the
Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Islamabad has not signed the
pact.
The US sought and won a special exemption from NSG
while negotiating a landmark atomic trade deal with India,
another nuclear-armed nation that has not joined the treaty.
But it happened due to flawless track record of India in the
non-proliferation field.
However, during the negotiations, China was among a
group of nations to criticize the Indo-US deal before
ultimately granting the waiver.
The China-Pak nuclear deal has been a cause of concern
for many because of Pakistan's history as a nuclear
proliferator, mounting instability within that country and
worries the agreement would undermine the nonproliferation
regime. PTI SAK
KAB