Pakistan's response to the UN resolution on nonproliferation

Indian diplomats may be peeved at the fact that UNSC Resolution 1887, passed unanimously on September 24, 2009, takes no note of the exceptional status the country got when the Nuclear Suppliers Group voted to lift its sales ban despite the Indian possession of nuclear weapons.

But for Pakistan, that exemption still rankles.

So while India faulted Obama's resolution for its emphasis on nonproliferation, and its unwarranted advice on the NPT and CTBT, Pakistan confined itself to submitting a list of "Important Points regarding Nuclear Disarmament and Nuclear Non-proliferation".

Among these:

* The need to strengthen the nuclear non-proliferation regime by bringing all states on board in an equitable and realisitc manner.

* The imperative to address asymmetries at the global and regional levels, which generate sense of insecurity among States.

* Need for evolving universal and non-discriminatory criteria for international cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, including nuclear power generation for energy security.

Since Pakistan is currently blocking consensus at the Conference on Disarmament by raising objections to the work plan under which the Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty negotiations will begin, it has also flagged this issue as one of its points:

* UNSC should not prejduge the process at the CD or lay particular emphasis on wo90rk in the CD on any particular issue like the FMCT.

You can see the full Pakistani letter by Ambassador Abudllah Hussain Haroon here.