ISLAMABAD, March 3: Pakistan would give its final response to the Proliferation Security Initiative after examining the ramifications of the WMD interdiction regime, a spokesman of the Foreign Office said on Wednesday.
Pakistan has held consultations with the US and the UK on PSI, foreign office spokesman Masood Khan said at a press briefing. US President George W Bush had announced the Proliferation Security Initiative on May 31, 2003, during a speech in Krakow, Poland, just before the G-8 Summit in Evian, France.
Some 60 countries have so far indicated their support to the principles of PSI, which could finally allow for stopping and searching ships and aircraft if suspected of carrying materials used in weapons of mass destruction programmes, including dual- use technologies and chemicals.
A senior Pakistani government official, while commenting about Pakistan's stance on Proliferation Security Initiative, said that Islamabad was against proliferation and would cooperate with the international community to check the spread of the WMDs.
"The government of Pakistan has held consultations on PSI. Pakistan looks forward to become a participant in making such a regime effective in accordance with international law," the official said.
Analysts expressed the fear that Pakistan's nuclear programme could be the first casualty of PSI in the long run as without recognition as an official nuclear power, supply of spares needed for running the programme to maintain a minimum deterrence level could be compromised.
