ISLAMABAD, April 25: On the second day of SSII’s workshop titled: “The International Strategic Environment and Pakistan’s Policy Imperatives” organized for women parliamentarians here in Islamabad on Thursday, Federal Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari gave an overview of the non-proliferation and arms control regimes, while drawing attention to Pakistan’s nuclear policy. Dr Mazari discussed the Nuclear Supplier’s Group (NSG) and cautioned against the US push to make India a member of the NSG. She made clear; India’s membership would put Pakistan at a severe disadvantage. She also noted that India’s rapid modernisation of its nuclear forces is adversely affecting the strategic stability in the region.
In the non-proliferation regime, Dr Mazari highlighted two approaches; a US-centric discriminatory approach and a universal non-discriminatory approach.
She pointedout article 6 of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) was inherently discriminatoryas it called on the five recognised member states to act “in good faith”towards nuclear disarmament- however the article remains non-binding. – DNA
