ISLAMABAD: Strategic Studies Institute Islamabad (SSII) on Tuesday called for proactive diplomacy on Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) on the issue of membership of non-NPT states.

“Pakistan should engage other countries, who object to India’s membership of NSG, through its own diplomatic measures in order to effectively deal with the issue,” SSII Director General Dr Shireen Mazari said.

She was speaking at a roundtable discussion on “Current Nuclear Challenges and Opportunities” hosted by the SSII. “Pakistan needs proactive and timely diplomacy to counter this (NSG) issue,” Dr Mazari further said.

NSG would once again take up the issue of non-NPT states, practically Pakistan and India, at its next plenary. Currently there is an impasse on the issue at the export control cartel that operates through consensus.

The participants discussed that the Global Risk Landscape, given by World Economic Forum, shows that the world is at a risk of any nuclear accident due to the increasing number of warheads in the world.

The report shows that currently there is no mechanism for capping the impact of nuclear detonation. It was also highlighted that nuclear accidents do happen which sometimes go unreported.

Regarding North Korea’s denuclearisation, the participants questioned as to who would verify the dismantling of DPRK’s nuclear devices. According to some countries, IAEA would monitor the process. However, it was pointed out that IAEA was not mandated for this task. Some countries are of the view that Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) should oversee the closure and dismantling of DPRK’s nuclear programme.

DG SSII Dr Mazari argued that although CTBT is a non-discriminatory treaty, it remains irrelevant until the US ratifies it.

Published in Dawn, May 9th, 2018