LAHORE, May 28: The government is determined to maintain credible deterrence and Pakistan’s nuclear capability is part and parcel of its defence policy, the ministry of foreign affairs submitted before the Lahore High Court on Tuesday.

In its comments on a writ petition alleging that the country might sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty under pressure, the ministry said no decision had been taken to sign the treaty. A decision would be taken after considering all the relevant factors and in the best national interest. The apprehensions expressed by the petitioner-lawyer (M.D. Tahir) were misconceived and based on lack of understanding of the treaty. He had no right to speak for the entire nation.

The ministry said the CTBT was not a secret document. Its text, including an Urdu translation, was available for every citizen to read. There was no need to issue any pamphlet or hold a referendum. The treaty had no expiry date. There was no US pressure on Pakistan to sign the CTBT. The US had not ratified it. The treaty would come into effect only when it had been signed and ratified by the US and 43 other states. Thirteen

of them had yet to sign or

ratify it.

Though no decision had been taken, the Supreme Court did not bar the government from signing the treaty in the Zafar Ali Shah case. Pakistan had credible nuclear deterrence and the example of Iraq cited by the petitioner was not relevant. The CTBT did not call for disarmament: it merely sought a global, non-discriminatory commitment to shun nuclear test explosions, the ministry said.

ORDER RESERVED: Justice Nasim Sikandar of the Lahore High Court, a member of the Election Commission, reserved his order on objections to the delimitation of national and provincial constituencies in the districts of Gujrat and Wazirabad.

Former PPP MNA and secretary-general Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar filed objections to the delimitation of NA-104, where he is likely to be pitted against Chaudhry Shujaat Husain or Chaudhry Pervez Elahi. Advocate Dr Mohyuddin Qazi represented the Chaudhris of Gujrat in the proceedings.