October

7, 2017
NSG prospects for
Pakistan
By Abid Hussain
THE Nuclear Group met for the first time in November 1975 in London,
and is thus popularly referred to as the “London Club”. Currently there
are 48 Participating Governments (PGs) of the NSG. The 27th annual
plenary Meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group was held in Bern on
June 22-23 under the chairmanship of Benno Laggner of Switzerland.
The NSG PGs called upon all States to be vigilant and to ensure
Effective implementation of all relevant Security Council resolutions and
objectives of the Nuclear Suppliers Group. Nuclear Suppliers Group’s
plenary meeting joined together all Nuclear Weapon states to share their
responsible approach for nuclear exports by adhering to the Nuclear
Suppliers Group guidelines. At the Berne general meeting, member
States of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) reaffirmed its full support
for the NPT regime. In the plenary meeting following issues were
discussed.

The participants governments also discussed the membership of Indian

in NSG by viewing the 2008 statement on Civil Nuclear Cooperation,
which needs to be more furnished in upcoming informal meeting in
November 2017. Discussed the issue of “Technical, Legal and Political
Aspects of the Participation of non-NPT States in the NSG.” an informal
meeting in November 2017 will further elaborate the issue of Non-NPT
members. The issue of Pakistan and Indian was taken up during the
meeting and participating governments agreed to continue deliberations
on the matter, no formal decision was taken on granting membership to
either Islamabad or New Delhi. The NSG is expected to convene for an
informal meeting in Vienna in November this year which will further
benchmark the implication for Non-NPT states by joining NSG. A key
member of the NSG China is against the India to become a member of
NSG as India is not qualified its membership. on the basis of NSG
principles India is not signatory to the NPT.

Pakistan’s engagement with NSG predates 2003 and since 2011

concerted efforts are aimed at NSG membership, and outreach meetings
with NSG were arranged in 2011 (Vienna), 2013 (Ankara), 2015
(Vienna). The United States calls for membership in India on the grounds
that it will ensure energy security for India as well as job creation, but is
not willing to accept the same logic for Pakistan, although the country is
experiencing the worst kind of energy crisis for a long time. The United
States has always supported India in the nuclear technology and seeking
membership for the New Delhi Group. Granting concessions. Surpassing
the strategic stability in the region India expanded its capacity to produce
fissile material for military use only. Pakistan is currently facing a power
crisis and further development of nuclear energy can help bring the
country out of this situation.

Like other developing nation, Pakistan is interested in the use of peaceful

nuclear technology for energy purposes and has always supported a
non-discriminatory criteria – based approach for the entry of non-NPT
states into the NSG for peaceful international nuclear trade .Pakistan
wants to see the NSG as a credible and rule- based group rather than a
cartel driven by commercial and political interests. This reflects that
Pakistan cannot get a simultaneous entry into the NSG with India. Other
Pakistani experts believe that Pakistan’s civilian nuclear program already
separates from its military, and Pakistan has no intention of mixing it.
Furthermore, as the world turns away from fossil fuels as a source of
energy, Pakistan also needs to switch to environmentally cleaner sources
of energy.
We hope that Pakistan will continue its efforts to harmonize its approach
with other like-minded countries on the question of the membership of the
Nuclear Suppliers Group so that there will be no special treatment in
India in the future that could endanger the Pakistan’s interests.
Washington’s discriminatory policies towards Islamabad are reflected in
the way it continues to oppose Pakistan’s membership in the Nuclear
Suppliers Group. It is also exerting pressure on Pakistan to reduce its
production of fissile material. On the contrary, it actively supported India’s
entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group and turned a blind eye to its
nuclear accumulation in its non-custodial facilities. If it is not for the
Chinese opposition, India has been a member of the Nuclear Suppliers
Group for a long time. This is recommended that The 48 PGs of The
Nuclear Suppliers Group should adopt a non-discriminatory approach to
the question of the membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group of States
that are not members of the NPT rather than establishing another
country-specific exemption.
— The writer is a Library Officer at Institute of Strategic Studies, a think-
tank based in Islamabad.
Email: abidhussain@issi.org.pkAbid HussainTHE Nuclear Group met for
the first time in November 1975 in London, and is thus popularly referred
to as the “London Club”. Currently there are 48 Participating
Governments (PGs) of the NSG. The 27th annual plenary Meeting of the
Nuclear Suppliers Group was held in Bern on June 22-23 under the
chairmanship of Benno Laggner of Switzerland. The NSG PGs called
upon all States to be vigilant and to ensure Effective implementation of all
relevant Security Council resolutions and objectives of the Nuclear
Suppliers Group. Nuclear Suppliers Group’s plenary meeting joined
together all Nuclear Weapon states to share their responsible approach
for nuclear exports by adhering to the Nuclear Suppliers Group
guidelines. At the Berne general meeting, member States of the Nuclear
Suppliers Group (NSG) reaffirmed its full support for the NPT regime. In
the plenary meeting following issues were discussed.

The participants governments also discussed the membership of Indian

in NSG by viewing the 2008 statement on Civil Nuclear Cooperation,
which needs to be more furnished in upcoming informal meeting in
November 2017. Discussed the issue of “Technical, Legal and Political
Aspects of the Participation of non-NPT States in the NSG.” an informal
meeting in November 2017 will further elaborate the issue of Non-NPT
members. The issue of Pakistan and Indian was taken up during the
meeting and participating governments agreed to continue deliberations
on the matter, no formal decision was taken on granting membership to
either Islamabad or New Delhi. The NSG is expected to convene for an
informal meeting in Vienna in November this year which will further
benchmark the implication for Non-NPT states by joining NSG. A key
member of the NSG China is against the India to become a member of
NSG as India is not qualified its membership. on the basis of NSG
principles India is not signatory to the NPT.

Pakistan’s engagement with NSG predates 2003 and since 2011

concerted efforts are aimed at NSG membership, and outreach meetings
with NSG were arranged in 2011 (Vienna), 2013 (Ankara), 2015
(Vienna). The United States calls for membership in India on the grounds
that it will ensure energy security for India as well as job creation, but is
not willing to accept the same logic for Pakistan, although the country is
experiencing the worst kind of energy crisis for a long time. The United
States has always supported India in the nuclear technology and seeking
membership for the New Delhi Group. Granting concessions. Surpassing
the strategic stability in the region India expanded its capacity to produce
fissile material for military use only. Pakistan is currently facing a power
crisis and further development of nuclear energy can help bring the
country out of this situation.
Like other developing nation, Pakistan is interested in the use of peaceful
nuclear technology for energy purposes and has always supported a
non-discriminatory criteria – based approach for the entry of non-NPT
states into the NSG for peaceful international nuclear trade .Pakistan
wants to see the NSG as a credible and rule- based group rather than a
cartel driven by commercial and political interests. This reflects that
Pakistan cannot get a simultaneous entry into the NSG with India. Other
Pakistani experts believe that Pakistan’s civilian nuclear program already
separates from its military, and Pakistan has no intention of mixing it.
Furthermore, as the world turns away from fossil fuels as a source of
energy, Pakistan also needs to switch to environmentally cleaner sources
of energy. We hope that Pakistan will continue its efforts to harmonize its
approach with other like-minded countries on the question of the
membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group so that there will be no
special treatment in India in the future that could endanger the Pakistan’s
interests.
Washington’s discriminatory policies towards Islamabad are reflected in
the way it continues to oppose Pakistan’s membership in the Nuclear
Suppliers Group. It is also exerting pressure on Pakistan to reduce its
production of fissile material. On the contrary, it actively supported India’s
entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group and turned a blind eye to its
nuclear accumulation in its non-custodial facilities. If it is not for the
Chinese opposition, India has been a member of the Nuclear Suppliers
Group for a long time. This is recommended that The 48 PGs of The
Nuclear Suppliers Group should adopt a non-discriminatory approach to
the question of the membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group of States
that are not members of the NPT rather than establishing another
country-specific exemption.
— The writer is a Library Officer at Institute of Strategic Studies, a think-
tank based in Islamabad.
Email: abidhussain@issi.org.pk