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PAKISTAN HAS REITERATED ITS COMMITMENT TO POLICY OF RESTRAINT AND RESPONSIBILITY ON NUCLEAR ISSUE.

June 16, 2000 at 1800 hrs. National News Bureau

FOREIGN MINISTER ABDUL SATTAR HAS REITERATED PAKISTAN'S COMMITMENT TO POLICY OF RESTRAINT AND RESPONSIBILITY ON THE NUCLEAR ISSUES. THIS WAS STATED BY THE FOREIGN MINISTER DURING THE NINTH ROUND OF PAKISTAN-U.S. DIALOGUE ON NUCLEAR AND SECURITY RELATED ISSUES, IN WASHINGTON. THE FOREIGN MINISTER INFORMED THE U.S. DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE STROBE TALBOTT THAT PAKISTAN'S NUCLEAR CAPABILITY IS AIMED AT DETERRING AGGRESSION AND POSES NO THREAT TO ANY COUNTRY. HE SAID, ISLAMABAD IS WILLING TO CONSIDER MEASURES FOR RESTRAINT ON NON-DISCRIMINATORY, REGIONAL AND GLOBAL BASIS. MR. ABDUL SATTAR SAID, PAKISTAN IS OPPOSED TO NUCLEAR TO NUCLEAR AND CONVENTIONAL ARMS BUILD-UP AND PURSUES A POLICY OF MAINTAINING A MINIMUM POSSIBLE CREDIBLE DETERRENCE, WHICH COULD PROTECT ITS SECURITY. HE ALSO INFORMED THE U.S. DEPUTY SECRETARY ABOUT COMMAND AND CONTROL SYSTEM AND MEASURES BEING ADOPTED TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF PAKISTAN'S NUCLEAR ASSETS. MR. ABDUL SATTAR ALSO HAD MEETINGS WITH THE U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE ALBRIGHT AND UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE THOMAS PICHERING. MS. ALBRIGHT EXPRESSED U.S. DESIRE FOR MAINTAINING STRONG BILATERAL RELATIONS AND CONTINUING EXCHANGES BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES FOR EXPANDING COOPERATION. THE FOREIGN MINISTER INFORMED THE U.S. OFFICIALS ABOUT THE PRIORITIES OF THE GOVERNMENT FOR REVIVAL OF ECONOMY, DOMESTIC REFORMS AND RESTORATION OF DEMOCRACY IN PAKISTAN. LATER ADDRESSING NEWS CONFERENCE IN WASHINGTON, FOREIGN MINISTER ABDUL SATTAR SAID WHILE PAKISTAN BELIEVED THE COMPREHENSIVE TEST BAN TREATY - CTBT TO BE A GOOD ONE, NO DECISION WILL BE TAKEN ON SIGNING IT WITHOUT A NATIONAL CONSENSUS. HE DISMISSED THE VIEW THAT THERE WAS ANY PRESSURE ON PAKISTAN TO SIGN IT OR THAT THERE WAS ANY REASON FOR QUICK ACTION SINCE IT WAS NOT LIKELY TO COME INTO FORCE FOR SOMETIME. HE SAID, THE TALKS WITH TALBOTT HAD CENTERED AROUND FIVE BENCHMARKS - CTBT, THE PROPOSED FISSILE MATERIAL CUT OFF TREATY, NUCLEAR AND MISSILE RESTRAINT, EXPORT CONTROL AND PAKISTAN-INDIA RELATIONS. PUT INTO PRACTICE IN THE NUCLEAR FIELD. HE SAID, PAKISTAN'S POSITION ON KASHMIR IS CLEAR AND THE FUTURE OF KASHMIR SHOULD BE DECIDED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE WISHES OF THE KASHMIRI PEOPLE.