From HIGH COMMISSION FOR PAKISTAN

High Commission for Pakistan 4-Timbarra Crescent, O’Malley Canberra 2606 (Australia) Tel: 02-6290 1676 Fax: 02-6290 1073

                                     12 December, 2002

 

 

PRESS RELEASE

 

 

            The international community may be aware of the accusations, made by the US media in October, 2002 about nuclear collaboration between Pakistan and North Korea in the nuclear field. The allegations were categorically refuted by Pakistan on 18 October, 2002, when President General Pervez Musharraf, reiterating Pakistan’s firm commitment to nuclear non-proliferation had stated that Pakistan was not cooperating with any country, including North Korea. Pakistan’s commitment, affirmed at the highest level that it would not export any sensitive technologies to third countries remains unquestionable.

 

2.         It may be recalled that the US Secretary of State Colin Powell, during his interview with the NBC and ABC on 20 October 2002, had clearly stated that the President of Pakistan had assured him that Pakistan was not doing anything of that nature and that he had taken his word for it. Similar views were also expressed by the US National Security Adviser in an interview with the CNN. It is, therefore, clear that the US leadership did not give any weightage to the baseless and speculative allegations, leveled against Pakistan by the US media. The Government of Pakistan has also refuted the possibility of the US Government imposing sanctions against Pakistan since the allegations were baseless.         

 

3.         The international community may also be aware that India had mentioned Pakistan’s alleged nuclear collaboration with North Korea at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)’s Board of Governors’ meeting held in Vienna during November, 2002. India wanted the matter to be investigated. The Government of Pakistan strongly resented the Indian move. The representative of Pakistan emphasized to the IAEA that Pakistan had a strong export control regime in place and had an impeccable record in this regard. Rather than making such baseless innuendos against Pakistan, which had made unquestionable commitments that it would not export any sensitive technologies to third countries, it should look at India with its perfidious record of broken commitments, which should be censured and investigated.

 

4.         The Government of Pakistan also conveyed its disappointment to Russia over President Vladimir Putin’s remarks on 22 November 2002, when he expressed his concerns about the security of the nuclear assets of Pakistan.

 

5.         It is re-emphasized that Pakistan is fully aware of its responsibilities and is firmly committed not to share its nuclear technology, equipment etc. with any other country. Pakistan firmly believes in nuclear non-proliferation and would continue to work for promoting global as well as regional non-proliferation. The allegations leveled by the US media, India and Russia were totally baseless, motivated and malicious. It was in fact, India which was instrumental in spreading such false accusations to harm Pakistan