WASHINGTON, April 28: Pakistan has announced that it will not support the use of force against Iran, would like to maintain nuclear deterrence in South Asia besides seeking nuclear technology for producing energy.

Foreign Secretary Riaz Mohammad Khan made these assertions at a joint briefing with US Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns after the first round of the US-Pakistan strategic dialogue which ended in Washington on Friday.

“We made it very clear that we are opposed to any use of force in the area to resolve (the Iranian nuclear) issue,” said Mr Khan. “There’s no military solution.”

“We are not in the business of transforming, changing regimes anywhere,” said Mr Khan when asked if Pakistan would support a broader US policy for transforming the Iranian regime. “That is not something that we see as part of our policies.”

Mr Burns, however, said that the Bush administration had already sent a $75 million request to Congress for funding activities aimed at bringing about a democratic change in Iran. “We certainly want to support, at the grassroots level, the building of a democratic government in Iran.”

Mr Burns said that this week Iran announced its intention of providing nuclear technology to Sudan, “which is a highly irresponsible country.”

The extraordinary statement, he said, was followed the other very disturbing initiative of proceeding to enrich uranium at the plant at Natanz.

He said possible UN sanctions against Iran will be discussed at a meeting of the five permanent members of the Security Council in Paris on Tuesday.

“There’s no question in my mind that we’re going to have to see a significant international response and that will be one of rebuke of the government of Iran for its actions,” he added.

On the Indo-US nuclear deal, Mr Burns sought to assure Pakistanis that the agreement had no military component. “The people of Pakistan should be reassured that this program does not speak at all of support for the nuclear weapons sector of the Indian nuclear industry, but to the civil power sector,” he said.

“And that is going to be positive. It’s going to be positive for the Indians. And I think our overall relationship with both Pakistan and India is going to be a force for stability in the region.”

Mr Burns and Mr Khan said they agreed to proceed with a planned sale of US F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan, but Mr Khan said the purchase would be greatly scaled down because of cost factors arising from Pakistan’s devastating earthquake last October.

Mr Burns said the administration would begin consultations with Congress on the sale shortly.

Mr Khan welcomed the US role in the interest of stability and peace and security in South Asia but highlighted Pakistan’s concerns over the Indo-US nuclear deal and said: “But when it comes to security, we also understand our own responsibility as a sovereign country.”

Mr Khan said that Pakistan has been taking steps to ensure that “there is a deterrence which remains established and this deterrence has, in fact, been helpful for maintenance of peace in the region.”

“We will continue to make efforts, if such efforts are needed, to maintain that deterrence,” said Mr Khan. “We are not interested in any arms race, but certainly we can not be oblivious of our security requirements.”

Pakistan, he said, had an expanding economy with growing energy needs, “and in that certainly for us the nuclear power generation is a very important option that we want to develop and we will also not be oblivious to our energy needs.”

The talks here also covered Kashmir, with Mr Burns reiterating the US intention to help Pakistan and India resolve the territorial dispute, but not in a mediating role.

He said terrorism and violence in Afghanistan were covered in the talks as well, and that the US wants to help Pakistan uplift the economy of tribal areas along the Afghan border.

Mr Khan said the talks focused on sectors of energy, economy, education, science and technology.