Treat India, Pakistan equally for NSG: Islamabad

Pakistan on Thursday asked the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) member countries to treat Pakistan and India equally.

Foreign office spokesman Nafees Zakaria said Pakistan and India’s applications should be considered simultaneously and in an even handed manner, keeping in view the region’s strategic stability.

At a media briefing, he said it had been “our consistent position that the NSG membership for the non-NPT states must be dealt with in accordance with a single, uniform, non discriminatory and a fair criteria.”

Mr Zakaria said Pakistan had been making efforts to muster support of the NSG members for its own membership. He said the country has strong credentials to become membership of the NSG.

“Pakistan’s membership, in fact, is in the interest of the nuclear trading countries as it will further promote the non proliferation objectives,” he added.

When asked to comment on US envoy Richard Olson’s remarks that Indian role in Afghanistan was overestimated in Pakistan, the spokesman said: “Our concerns on the matter are very much genuine and based on facts.”

He said the arrest of Kulbushan Yadav is a solid proof of Indian involvement in perpetrating terrorism in Pakistan. The spy, he said, has made confessions in this regard.

He also reminded that the high ranking US officials in the past themselves have admitted that India is fanning instability in Pakistan.

About relations with India, the spokesman said Pakistan wants unconditional talks with the neighbouring country for the resolution of all the outstanding issues. He said Pakistan was deeply concerned over human rights violations in Kashmir.