NEW YORK, Sept 20: Pakistan will push for a criteria-based approach on the civilian nuclear technology issue at the meeting of the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group in Vienna next month.

Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri told journalists during a briefing here on Tuesday that he had raised the issue with many of his European counterparts and members of the NSG.

“Our pitch is: Please adopt a criteria-based approach in Vienna and not a discriminatory approach,” Mr Kasuri said. Rejecting concerns that Pakistan might misuse technology if given the green light, he said that it was already a declared nuclear power and had been cooperating with the IAEA and other leading countries of the world. Referring to the structure of Pakistan’s nuclear programme, he said: “We have 65,000 people working (on the nuclear programme) and 7,000 of them are physicists and engineers.”

The foreign minister was evasive when asked if Pakistan so far had received an encouraging response from any member of the NSG.

On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session on Tuesday, Mr Kasuri said he had held meetings with foreign ministers of seven countries, including China, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Australia, Oman, Mexico and the secretary-general of Nato. In almost all meetings, the focus remained on the current situation in Lebanon, the Middle East crisis, Afghanistan, UN reforms and the issue of the Security Council’s expansion. Mr Kasuri said he had invited his British, Australian and Saudi counterparts to visit Pakistan and dates would be worked out through diplomatic channels. The foreign minister said he would be visiting Oman soon.

Referring to President Musharraf’s positive reference to the Kashmir issue in his address to the UN General Assembly, Mr Kasuri said the optimism was prompted by the president’s ‘very good’ meeting with Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in Havana last week.