PESHAWAR, Nov 24: Countries in the region should resolve mutual conflicts through negotiations to be free from big powers’ interference, said Maulana Fazlur Rehman, leader of Opposition leader in the National Assembly and Amir of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (F). It is the right of every country to acquire nuclear technology and use it for peaceful purposes, but, unfortunately, the big powers have always opposed access of countries in this region, to nuclear technology, Mr Rehman said.

Maulana Fazal was speaking as chief guest at a seminar organized here by the Peshawar Press Club on, “Iran’s nuclear programme and external pressures”. He said that if all countries, including China, Pakistan, Iran and India, resolved their issues and defended each others’ interests then no external power would interfere with them.

“These countries will have the opportunity to use the nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and will be in a powerful position to defend and resist pressure of big powers,” Mr Rehman said.

He said the nuclear race started decades ago in this region to get equal with the neighbouring countries due to strained relations among Saarc member countries.

“If the European countries could get united for their interests, why not all the Saarc member countries and those with the status of observers could do away with their differences to defeat the Western powers meddling in their affairs,” Mr Fazl said.

Pakistan also passed through such pressure when it acquired nuclear capability, he said.

Former Inter Services Intelligence chief Lt-Gen (retd) Asad Durrani said that Pakistan had also gone through such pressure when it was working on its nuclear programme but finally it achieved nuclear capability in the face of all kinds of pressures.

He said that at the moment Pakistan should not play any role in Iran’s nuclear issue because if it comes in the forefront then the issue of nuclear proliferation will re-emerge, and added that, however, China and Russia could play their role as Iran wants to come in the mainstream.

Mr Durrani said that the Iranian leadership and people had undergone tough times in the past and the country would decide what is best in the interest of its people.

The big powers were also not in a position to take any military action or place any kind of sanctions on Iran at this moment, Mr Durrani said.

Afrasiab Khattak, former chairperson Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and Awami National Party’s senior leader, said that every country has the right to produce nuclear energy and use it for peaceful purposes but it should not end up the race for power as was the case with the USSR which had developed rockets and nuclear technology but failed to make a proper “nail-cutter”. The USSR had nuclear weapons but it disintegrated as they could not defend the country, he added.

“Nuclear weapons can not provide us any security,” Mr Khattak said citing the example of the Pakistani government. Instead of proving a defence for our country, the nuclear assets are protected by the Pakistani government.

Mr Khattak said that a small country like Cuba, just 92km away from the USA, resisted the pressure of the big power not because it had nuclear weapons but just because the nation stood united.

He said that the leadership should take people into confidence and unite them instead of making more nuclear bombs.

He said: “Iran, it seems, also wants to become a big power in this region as its statements show. Iran should be more careful when its leadership issues statements about other countries like Israel. The UN should play its role to unite and treat all countries equally under the umbrella of the United Nations.”

Other speakers also urged unity of countries in this region to resist external pressure and demanded that an international system be developed for giving equal treatment to all countries.