ISLAMABAD, Nov 7: Pakistan has sought a “cogent reason” from the United States for not offering it an Indian-style nuclear deal. Informed sources told Dawn here on Monday that the government “has asked the Bush administration to treat Pakistan on a par with India” so that its plans “to produce 8,800 MW of nuclear energy during the next 25 years are met”.
So far Pakistan has not been “officially informed” that it cannot be offered a nuclear deal like that of India.
“We still need to be told in black and white whether or not we will get a deal similar to the one sealed with India,” a source said.
Under the US-India deal, New Delhi was required to segregate the nuclear facilities serving the weapons and civilian nuclear power generation programme. India, it is learnt, has informed the United States that its indigenous nuclear power plants are related to the weapons programme while only the Tarapur nuclear power plant and other plants set up with foreign assistance are linked with the civilian programme.
In respect of Pakistan, however, the US and the West continue to entertain proliferation concerns despite its repeated assurances that its nuclear command and control system is secure and that its civilian programme would continue to be open to international safeguards.
Islamabad recently told them that it was ready to install its new civilian nuclear power plants under full supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Pakistani authorities informed the recently concluded 49th general conference of IAEA in Vienna that Pakistan was ready to build its new power plants with foreign equity partners in order to address the concerns of the West and the United States.
The sources said that the government had also conveyed to the Bush administration that Pakistan was ready to accept the proposed “proliferation-resistant nuclear power plants” to ensure that it was only interested in fulfilling its future energy needs, keeping in view the high oil prices and increasing global warming.
In a recent high-level contact between the two sides, the sources said, Pakistan told the US authorities that Islamabad was not an irresponsible nuclear state and as such should be offered a deal on the pattern of India.
Pakistan has also urged the Nuclear Suppliers Group, which comprises developed industrial countries, “not” to single it out by deciding to provide nuclear energy only to India in the region.
President Gen Pervez Musharraf had been requested by chairman of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) Pervez Butt to formally seek nuclear deal with the US and the west to meet the country’s electricity requirements.
Britain, Canada and France also offered nuclear deals to India which, according to the sources, should also be offered to Pakistan. Otherwise it would be constrained to look for other sources to meet its energy needs.
Pakistan has been saying that it is in dire need of nuclear power plants to meet its energy targets till the year 2030.
It does not see any stability in the region if it is continued to be discriminated against, especially by the US, the sources said.
India has planned six new nuclear power plants after having been assured of the required nuclear cooperation by the US, Britain, Canada and France.
Islamabad has provided details of importing and setting up 13 nuclear power plants to the United States and some other western nations. It has said that China has been helping in the setting up of another 300-MW power plant to help meet Islamabad’s power requirements.
