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Pakistan may sign NPT if declared N-power: report

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Islamabad, Feb 13, IRNA - Pakistan may consider signing the Nuclear 
Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) if the world community formally 
recognises Islamabad as the sixth member of the atomic club. 
"Islamabad`s entering into the international treaty on the non- 
proliferation of nuclear weapons as a non-nuclear state is out of 
question," reported The News daily in its Friday issues. 
According to the paper, Pakistan is expected to be pressurised by 
the world community to sign the NPT in the backdrop of admissions that
some of its nuclear scientists and officials had proliferated nuclear 
technology abroad. 
The newspaper quoted an unnamed official source as saying that 
Pakistan could consider inking the treaty, provided it was given 
recognition as a declared nuclear power. Otherwise, there was no 
question of coming to the treaty fold. 
The NPT acknowledges the United States, Russia, Britain, France 
and China as the nuclear weapon states called the atomic club. The 
treaty obligates these nations not to transfer nuclear weapons, other 
nuclear explosive devices, or their technology to any non-nuclear 
state. 
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf in a recent news conference 
had denied reports that Islamabad was under pressure to rollback its 
nuclear programme after disclosure of alleged leakage of N-assets 
abroad. 
Contrary to that, some of the opposition parties in the Parliament
allege that the statesmen were in the process of rolling back the 
nuclear programme in order to remain in power. 
MHA/TSH/214 
End