Agencies
Islamabad, June 27: Pakistan’s intensive diplomatic lobbying prevented India from gaining entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), Pakistani foreign affairs adviser Sartaj Aziz said Monday.
He said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif personally wrote to 17 PMs opposing India’s bid to get a berth in the club of countries controlling access to sensitive nuclear technology. “Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif personally wrote letters to 17 prime ministers of different countries on the matter, which is on record,” Aziz told journalists at the ministry of foreign affairs in Islamabad.
China has blocked India’s membership of NSG on the grounds that it is not a signatory to the NPT. The 48-member group, set up in response to India’s first nuclear test in 1974, aims at preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons. India and Pakistan are the two non-NPT states aspiring for membership of the international nuclear trade cartel.
India hopes that the NSG membership will allow it access to the latest nuclear technology and global markets. Energy-starved India has set for itself an ambitious goal of sourcing 40 per cent of its power from non-fossil sources and is relying heavily on nuclear energy to meet the target.
Although New Delhi launched a spirited campaign, it failed to make the cut at the NSG plenary in Seoul last week in the face of stiff opposition from China and a few other countries. China clubbed India’s entry with that of its all-weather friend Pakistan, which submitted its NSG application within days of India sending its request.
Opponents argue that granting India membership will undermine efforts to prevent proliferation and will irk arch-rival Pakistan. Although officially China has not talked about Pakistan’s bid, Chinese think-tanks and experts have made the Islamabad angle amply clear.
Aziz’s statement came days after foreign office spokesperson Nafees Zakriya, during his weekly briefing, said Pakistan was seeking backing from other countries but refuted claims that it was lobbying against India.
India talking to China on NSG, says Modi
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Monday that India has been raising issues of its interest with China in a straight-forward manner and it will continue making efforts to be a member of NSG. In an interview with TimesNow news channel, he said due process for India’s inclusion in NSG will continue. “Everyone attempted and we also attempted to be a member of NSG. We will keep trying, and things have started on a positive note. All the things will be according to the due procedure,” Modi said.