DATE=5/17/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-232359
TITLE=PAK NUCLEAR (L) UPDATE
BYLINE=ALI ZAIDI
DATELINE=ISLAMABAD
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: PAKISTAN HAS DENIED REPORTS IT CARRIED OUT A NUCLEAR TEST
SUNDAY, BUT SAYS THE POSSIBILITY OF CARRYING OUT A NUCLEAR TEST
IS NOT A QUESTION OF IF, BUT WHEN. AS ALI ZAIDI REPORTS FROM
ISLAMABAD -- PAKISTAN SEES THE SANCTIONS IMPOSED ON ITS RIVAL
INDIA FOR NUCLEAR TESTING AS TOO WEAK TO DETER PAKISTAN FROM
RESPONDING TO THE THREAT TO ITS SECURITY.
TEXT: PAKISTAN'S FOREIGN OFFICE DENIED SUNDAY THE COUNTRY HAD
CARRIED OUT A NUCLEAR TEST.
RUMORS OF A TEST CIRCULATED EARLY SUNDAY, BUT IT WAS ONLY WHEN
THEY REACHED THE G-8 SUMMIT LEADERS IN ENGLAND AS UNCONFIRMED
REPORTS THAT PAKISTANI OFFICIALS FELT THE NEED TO PUT OUT A FIRM
DENIAL.
FOREIGN MINISTER GOHAR AYUB ACCUSES RIVAL INDIA OF SPREADING
DISINFORMATION IN THIS REGARD. MR. AYUB LEFT NO DOUBT PAKISTAN
HAS EVERY INTENTION OF CARRYING OUT SUCH A TEST IN RESPONSE TO
INDIA'S FIVE TESTS EARLIER THIS WEEK.
THE FOREIGN MINISTER TELLS V-O-A THE RECENT U-S DELEGATION LED BY
DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE STROBE TALBOTT WAS MISTAKEN TO THINK
PAKISTAN HAD NOT TAKEN A FINAL DECISION ON CONDUCTING A NUCLEAR
TEST.
// GOHAR ACT //
WE DID NOT SAY THAT TO THEM. WE SAID WE RESERVE THE
OPTION AND DECISION IN THE BEST INTEREST OF PAKISTAN'S
SECURITY AND THE STRATEGIC AND MILITARY IMBALANCE THAT
HAS BEEN CREATED.
// END ACT //
AFTER THE DELEGATION MET WITH PAKISTANI LEADERS, U-S OFFICIALS
SAID THEY WERE ASSURED PAKISTAN HAD NOT MADE UP ITS MIND TO TEST.
SPEAKING ON A MOBILE PHONE FROM THE MOUNTAINOUS REGION OF HIS
HOMETOWN IN NORTHERN PAKISTAN, MR. AYUB SAYS IT IS NOT A QUESTION
OF IF PAKISTAN WOULD CONDUCT A TEST, BUT WHEN. HE SAYS THE
DECISION TO TEST HAS BEEN TAKEN BY THE CABINET.
ASKED HOW FAR PREPARATIONS HAD BEEN MADE FOR A TEST, HE SAID
CONDUCTING THE EXPLOSION WOULD BE AS SIMPLE AS TURNING A KEY IN A
LOCK. REPORTS FROM A REMOTE DESERT REGION OF PAKISTAN'S
BALOCHISTAN PROVINCE SUGGEST PAKISTAN IS MAKING THE SITE READY
FOR CONDUCTING A NUCLEAR TEST.
PAKISTAN PRIME MINISTER NAWAZ SHARIF SAID SUNDAY THE COUNTRY
COULD CONDUCT THE TEST IN LESS THAN 24-HOURS NOTICE. BUT MR.
SHARIF'S STATEMENTS HAVE BEEN MORE CIRCUMSPECT THAN THOSE OF HIS
FOREIGN MINISTER.
MR. SHARIF HAS SAID ONLY THAT PAKISTAN IS KEEPING ITS OPTIONS
OPEN AND WILL SEE HOW THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY RESPONDS TO
INDIA'S TESTS, BUT PAKISTAN WOULD NOT ACT IN HASTE.
HE SAID PAKISTAN WOULD NOT RESPOND IN A TIT-FOR-TAT MANNER TO THE
INDIAN NUCLEAR TESTS, BUT HE SAID PAKISTAN WILL BE FORCED TO TEST
ITS DETERRENCE CAPABILITY IF NO FURTHER ACTION IS TAKEN AGAINST
INDIA.
PAKISTAN SAYS THE INDIAN TESTS HAVE FORCED IT INTO AN ARMS RACE,
AND INTERNATIONAL TREATIES AGAINST NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION AND
TESTING ARE NOW MEANINGLESS.
PAKISTAN HAS BITTERLY CRITICIZED WESTERN COUNTRIES FOR NOT
HEEDING ITS WARNINGS ABOUT INDIAN AMBITIONS, AND EXPRESSED DISMAY
AT THE UNWILLINGNESS OF THE G-EIGHT COUNTRIES TO IMPOSE SANCTIONS
ON NEW DELHI FOR TESTING NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
MEANWHILE, A JAPANESE ENVOY HAS ARRIVED IN ISLAMABAD FOR
DISCUSSIONS WITH THE PAKISTANI LEADERSHIP. JAPAN IS URGING
PAKISTAN NOT TO FOLLOW INDIA'S LEAD.
IF PAKISTAN TESTS ITS NUCLEAR WEAPONS CAPABILITY IT WILL LIKELY
BE HIT WITH THE SAME ECONOMIC SANCTIONS AS THOSE IMPOSED ON INDIA
BY THE UNITED STATES AND JAPAN.
PAKISTAN HAS SAID THOSE SANCTIONS ARE PRACTICALLY IRRELEVANT.
BUT EXPERTS SAY PAKISTAN'S ECONOMY WOULD BE MUCH LESS ABLE TO
SUSTAIN SUCH SANCTIONS THAN INDIA, WHICH HAS A VERY LARGE
DOMESTIC ECONOMY.
MR. AYUB SAYS PAKISTAN HAS TAKEN THOSE COSTS INTO CONSIDERATION.
WHEN ASKED WHAT IT WOULD COST PAKISTAN NOT TO TEST, THE FOREIGN
MINISTER SAYS PAKISTAN WOULD RISK BEING MARGINALIZED IN THE
REGION.
// GOHAR ACT //
IT WOULD COST THAT WE WOULD BE ANOTHER BHUTAN. WE WOULD
BE LIKE THE PERIPHERAL COUNTRIES OF INDIA.
// END ACT //
PAKISTAN'S FOREIGN SECRETARY IS TO VISIT BEIJING TO DISCUSS THE
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN THE REGION. PAKISTAN AND CHINA ARE CLOSE
ALLIES, AND BOTH HAVE OUTSTANDING DISPUTES WITH INDIA.
PAKISTAN AND INDIA HAVE FOUGHT THREE WARS SINCE GAINING
INDEPENDENCE FROM BRITAIN 50-YEARS AGO. TENSIONS REMAIN HIGH
OVER THE HIMALAYAN STATE OF KASHMIR, WHICH BOTH COUNTRIES CLAIM.
(SIGNED)
NEB/AZ/RAE
17-May-98 10:32 AM EDT (1432 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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