ISLAMABAD, Oct 3: Pakistan has sought a ‘nuclear deal’ from the United States and other western countries, like the US-India deal, to help fulfil its energy needs. Sources said on Monday that Islamabad has urged the ‘Nuclear Suppliers Group’, comprising developed industrial countries, ‘not’ to single out Pakistan by providing nuclear energy to India in the region.

President Gen Pervez Musharraf had been requested by Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) Chairman Pervez Butt to formally seek nuclear deal from the US and the West to meet the country’s 8,800 MW of electricity needs during the next 25 years.

After the United States, the UK, Canada and France had also offered nuclear deals to India, which should also be offered to Pakistan failing which Islamabad would be constrained to look for other sources to meet its energy needs.

Pakistan said it was in dire need of nuclear power plants to meet its energy target till the year 2030.

“Denying Pakistan a nuclear package like that of India is a clear discrimination against a friend,” a source said, adding that the president has warned the US and important western countries that there would be ‘no stability’ in the region if India was continued to be favoured and Pakistan ignored despite being a strong ally of the international community against terrorism.

The sources said that India has planned six new nuclear power plants after having assured the required nuclear cooperation by the Bush Administration, Britain, Canada and France.

Pakistan has given the details to the United States and some other western countries of importing and establishing 13 nuclear power plants. Also, it said that China was helping to establish another 300 MW of power plant to help meet Islamabad’s power requirements.

“The government has told the US and the western countries that Pakistan deserves a nuclear deal because of being a matured nuclear operator and having a 33 years experience of safety,” a source said.

The government also informed the US and the western countries that Pakistan wanted to import nuclear power plants as a substitute to oil and global warming and that the whole programme would be under the active supervision of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

There are 440 nuclear power plants in the world, out of which 104 are being operated in the United States. About 1 trillion barrel of oil has so far been consumed in last 125 years. “But now 1 trillion barrel of oil will be consumed in next 25 years,” another source said, adding that all the latest details about oil consumption and power requirements of Pakistan had been given to the United States and the western countries.