Washington, February 28: A major blow to Pakistan demand of nuclear power , US has categorically refused Pakistan that it would not get any atomic power plant or civilian nuclear deal on the lines of the one signed with
India.
“The United States is working closely with Pakistan to help meet its growing needs. Nuclear power is not currently part of our discussions,” a senior Administration officialLeaders of Pakistan, who have been pitching hard for a nuclear power plant, have been told .
The senior Administration official said that the US has also told Pakistan that there is no way that they can get a civilian nuclear deal similar to the one the Obama Administration has signed with India.Reasoning behind the refusal lies the issue of nuclear proliferation . Given the past experiences that the US had with Pakistan on nuclear proliferation issue and the episode of disgraced Pakistani scientist A Q Khan accused of transferring sensitive technologies abroad, the official said both the top American lawmakers and those in the US Government have serious concerns about the safety of Pakistani nuclear weapons.
Pakistan’s first nuclear power reactor is a small (125 MWe) Canadian pressurized heavy water reactor (PHWR) which started up in 1971 and which is under international safeguards – KANUPP near Karachi, which is operated at reduced power.
The Indo-US civilian nuclear deal is specific to India only and there is no thinking going on in the administration to create a template for it, the official said.
Therefore it is quite difficult to consider “that (nuclear power)” option for Pakistan, the officials pointed out At a Lahore reception on February 14 hosted by Salmaan Taseer, Governor of Punjab province in Pakistan, the country’s top diplomat to the US, Husain Haqqani, had said Islamabad had
started negotiations with the US for an agreement on nuclear technology.
“The US is not skeptical about our nuclear programme.
Talks between Pakistan and the US for cooperation on atomic programmes are underway and we want the US to have an agreement with us like the one it had with India on civil nuclear technology,” Haqqani was quoted as saying by ‘The Dawn newspaper’ in Pakistan.
At a Congressional hearing on Thursday, a US lawmaker had expressed concern over the safety of Pakistani nuclear weapons and also about the possibility of the Taliban getting hold of the country’s atomic arms and India taking preventive measures.
Hillary Clinton said that efforts are going on of the Obama Administration about addressing Pakistani energy needs.
Clinton has said “We have committed to some large signature energy
projects, because part of their economic challenge is keeping
the power on and keeping those factories humming. And so I’ve
ordered a redirection of our aid so that we produce results
that are in line with the needs and aspirations of the
Pakistani people.”
—Agencies