DATE=6/5/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-233433
TITLE=PAK NUKES RESPONSE (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=ALI ZAIDI
DATELINE=ISLAMABAD
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: UNLIKE INDIA, PAKISTAN SAYS IT IS SATISFIED WITH THE
GENEVA MEETING OF THE FIVE PERMANENT MEMBERS OF THE U-N SECURITY
COUNCIL ON THE NUCLEAR STAND-OFF BETWEEN INDIA AND PAKISTAN. A
FOREIGN OFFICE STATEMENT WELCOMED OFFERS OF HELP FROM THE
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IN RESOLVING THE LONG STANDING DISPUTE
WITH INDIA OVER KASHMIR, BUT DID NOT COMMIT TO JOINING THE
NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION AGREEMENT AS URGED BY THE NUCLEAR
POWERS. ALI ZAIDI REPORTS FROM ISLAMABAD.
TEXT: PAKISTAN'S FOREIGN OFFICE SPOKESMAN SAYS PAKISTAN IS
SATISFIED THE NUCLEAR POWERS ARE TREATING THE SOUTH ASIAN NUCLEAR
STAND-OFF BETWEEN PAKISTAN AND INDIA IN A "COMPREHENSIVE" MANNER.
FOR PAKISTAN, THAT MEANS THE INCLUSION OF KASHMIR ON THE AGENDA
-- THE DISPUTED HIMALAYAN STATE OVER WHICH INDIA AND PAKISTAN
HAVE FOUGHT TWO OF THEIR THREE WARS.
THE SPOKESMAN WELCOMED FRIDAY THE FACT THAT THE ISSUE OF KASHMIR
HAD BEEN DISCUSSED AT A SUMMIT OF THE WORLD'S FIVE NUCLEAR POWERS
IN GENEVA.
THE SPOKESMAN SAYS PAKISTAN SUPPORTS THE IDEA OF BILATERAL TALKS
WITH INDIA TO TRY TO RESOLVE DISPUTES BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES.
BUT HE SAYS IT IS EVIDENT SUCH A DIALOGUE NEEDS TO BE
SUPPLEMENTED BY A LARGER MULTILATERAL EFFORT -- A REFERENCE TO
SOME FORM OF INTERNATIONAL MEDIATION ON THE KASHMIR ISSUE.
INDIA HAS REJECTED SEVERAL SUCH OFFERS OF MEDIATION FROM OTHER
COUNTRIES SINCE NUCLEAR TESTS IN MAY BY PAKISTAN AND INDIA LED TO
HEIGHTENED TENSIONS IN THE REGION. NEW DELHI INSISTS THE DISPUTE
OVER KASHMIR MUST BE RESOLVED ONLY THROUGH DIRECT TALKS BETWEEN
THE TWO COUNTRIES.
WHILE NOT RESPONDING DIRECTLY TO THE DEMAND BY THE WORLD'S
NUCLEAR POWERS THAT PAKISTAN REFRAIN FROM FURTHER NUCLEAR TESTS
AND SIGN TREATIES TO THAT EFFECT -- THE FOREIGN OFFICE SPOKESMAN
SAYS PAKISTAN WILL ACT RESPONSIBLY AND NOT PROVOKE AN ESCALATION
OF TENSIONS.
/// REST OPT ///
THE FOREIGN OFFICE SPOKESMAN SAYS PAKISTAN IS NOT INTERESTED IN A
NUCLEAR OR A CONVENTIONAL ARMS RACE IN THE SUBCONTINENT. BUT HE
SAYS PAKISTAN WILL NOT ALLOW ITSELF TO BE PLACED IN A POSITION OF
INEQUALITY.
PAKISTAN'S PRIME MINISTER NAWAZ SHARIF FRIDAY SAID THE SITUATION
CREATED BY THE NUCLEAR TESTS HAS PRESENTED A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY
FOR BOTH INDIA AND PAKISTAN TO SIT DOWN AND SETTLE THEIR
DIFFERENCES. (SIGNED)
NEB/AZ/LTD/JO
05-Jun-98 1:55 PM EDT (1755 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
