ISLAMABAD, March 2: Reacting to Indo-US nuclear agreement on Thursday, the Foreign Office said it marked a key relaxation of the nuclear suppliers group (NSG) existing guidelines and transfer of civilian nuclear technology to non-NPT states and emphasised Pakistan’s claim to same.

When the Foreign Office Spokesperson Tasnim Aslam was contacted by Dawn she underlined that the agreement represented an important relaxation of the NSG’s existing guidelines and transfer of civilian nuclear technology from NSG members to non-NPT states. Ms Aslam asserted: “Pakistan has the same claim and expectation for international cooperation under safeguards for nuclear power generation, especially because Pakistan is a fossil fuel deficit country and has a significant and fully safeguarded nuclear power generation programme.”

Pointing to Pakistan’s growing energy requirements she said: “Our energy security plan calls for 8,800 Megawatts from nuclear power generation up to 2030.” Reiterating that Pakistan’s civilian nuclear power generation programme was under IAEA safeguards, she declared: “We accept all appropriate safeguards for nuclear power reactor in this sector.

The FO spokesperson maintained Pakistan would examine the agreement once the details were received.