ISLAMABAD, April 30: In a fresh move to ensure nuclear non-proliferation, Pakistan on Monday announced its decision to set up a National Export Control Authority which would function as the Strategic Export Control Division in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The division will host representatives of the concerned ministries and organisations responsible for the implementation and enforcement of export controls, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Strategic Plans Division, Ministry of Commerce, Central Board of Revenues and others, as required.

Announcing this at the weekly news briefing Foreign Office Spokesperson Tasnim Aslam said the establishment of the Strategic Control Division was in pursuance of the 2004 Export Control Act on Goods, Technologies, Materials and Equipment.

Noting that the prime minister had approved the setting up of a national export control authority and its oversight board, Ms Aslam stated: “The export control authority will be named Strategic Export Control Division and will be established in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Oversight Board has already been constituted and it will also oversee the setting up of Strategic Export Control Division.”

Notably, the announcement comes just two days before a UK-based think-tank is to release a controversial dossier on Pakistani nuclear scientist Dr A.Q. Khan.

The spokesperson maintained that the purpose of this step was to have a focal authority for the monitoring and implementation of the Export Control Act. “There are sometimes dual use items and this authority would basically make guidelines, policies and see the provisions of the Act that was adopted in 2004 are fully implemented,” she explained.

Sir Creek and Wullar: The spokesperson informed the news briefing that under the fourth round of the Indo-Pakistan Composite Dialogue, the talks on Sir Creek dispute would be held on May 17-18 in Rawalpindi and on the Wullar Barrage on June 26-27 in Delhi. She said other dates were being finalised by the concerned ministries.

Kashmir: When her attention was drawn to the recent statements by President Musharraf, Indian prime minister and the foreign minister on the prospects of an early solution to the Kashmir dispute and asked why the taxpayers were not kept in the picture about the proposals being considered, Ms Aslam’s response was: “What do you want? 160 million people to be on the negotiating table?” She said the president had clearly stated that when the two countries reached that stage, the nation would be taken into confidence.

When asked if that stage was not already near, she said it would “not be appropriate” for her to get into that discussion. She reminded a questioner that the president himself had talked about the parameters of a possible solution on a number of occasions.