ISLAMABAD: After the government’s prolonged silence over India’s admission to Wassenaar Arrangement, a global export control regime, murmurings against its inclusion have started on the federal capital’s influential seminar circuit.

Addressing one such seminar, hosted by the Strategic Vision Institute (SVI), a think tank specialising in non-proliferation issues, a speaker warned that India’s acceptance into export control regimes would embolden it to attain its hegemonic designs in the region.

India was last week admitted to the Wassenaar Arrangement as its 42nd member. Its inclusion in the group would not only strengthen its credentials for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), but would also enhance its access to critical technologies.

Much like NSG, where Indian application is being held up because of Chinese insistence on following criteria-based approach, signing Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) was also a requirement for Wassenaar Arrangement, but was ignored because of the US backing.

Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2017