Islamabad, 29th August, 2016: During the Senate Defence Committee hosting a senior Australian delegation for the inaugural Pakistan-Australia Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Dialogue, Senator Sehar Kamran (TI) said “We at the Parliament represent the voices of over 200 million Pakistanis, and we here are to convey our collective national concerns.”
In her remarks, Senator Sehar Kamran added that, “today we are witnessing an increasingly deviation from established non-proliferation norms, even by states that in the past have championed its cause. This trend of economic and commercial interests taking precedence over global peace and regional stability is, put mildly, extremely alarming.”
Senator Sehar Kamran opined that, “when our country perceives itself to be discriminated against, isolated and marginalized despite all its efforts to integrate into international regimes through explicit compliance with norms and guidelines – and with no recognition of said efforts – the entire nation is aggrieved.”
On the issue of India-Australia deal of 2014, Senator Kamran said, “Australian deal of 2014 with India is another worrisome factor for Pakistan. Concerns about non-proliferation, nuclear regulation and safeguards seem to have been sidelined in an agreement that not only lacks a right of return clause, but utilizes generic and vague terminology to frame the mechanisms for tracking and accountability of nuclear materials. The deal is most certainly Australia’s divorce from its longstanding nonproliferation policy of not supplying uranium to countries outside the NPT especially keeping in view Australia’s role as a strong and historically responsible member of international regime.”
“We only seek the same today in the context of Pakistan’s application for NSG membership – we ask Australia to retain its principled stance and support a non-discriminatory, criteria-based approach,” Senator Sehar Kamran stated.
During the discussion Senator Sehar Kamran further said, “Pakistan is not opposed to Indian membership – it only seeks simultaneous entry into the group. Exceptionalism in the past continues to capsize regional stability in South Asia, and in seeking the simultaneous entry into NSG, Pakistan only hopes to revive that balance. Pakistan is an advanced nuclear state that fully adheres to IAEA guidelines, and fulfills all criteria for membership bar one. We are in a position to actively play a role in preventing proliferation and constructively contributing to global non-proliferation objectives.”
Pakistan has all the capabilities, capacity, technical experience and well established commitment to nuclear safety and security, she added.