Will the West trust Pakistan with “peaceful” nuclear technologies?

Will the West trust Pakistan with “peaceful” nuclear technologies?

Keeping in view Pakistan's growing energy needs, Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri recently said, the world should extend help to the country to fulfil its energy requirements through peaceful nuclear technology. Talking to newsmen here at the French embassy after inaugurating an exhibition on 60 years of Pakistani-French diplomatic relations, the foreign minister said: "The European countries should adopt criteria-based approach and extend cooperation to Pakistan for peaceful nuclear programme." He said Pakistan is the fifth-biggest country, and its energy needs are increasing due to economic growth.

Kasuri said Pakistan has required infrastructure to use the nuclear technology in a peaceful manner for producing energy. Therefore, the European Union, and, particularly, the Nuclear Suppliers' Group (NSG) should extend its help to Pakistan, he added. Referring to US-Indian cooperation in the field of nuclear technology, Kasuri said NSG should fulfil Pakistan's requirement in this regard as Pakistan is a responsible nuclear power.

About Pakistan-France relations, the foreign minister said there has been close coordination and cooperation between the two countries in different fields, including defense. He said negotiations are also going on between the defense officials from Pakistan and France for the purchase of GF-17.He expressed the hope that Pakistani-French relations would be further strengthened in future. Replying to a question about the demand of the West for Pakistan “to do more in war against terrorism", Kasuri said Pakistan has done a lot and now it is the turn of the West and theworld to do more.

On the Kashmir issue, he said with political will the issue could be resolved, adding that confidence-building measures [CBMs] between the two countries have not been wasted. He said the next government will take benefit from the progress made in the CBMs and take forward the peace process.

Will Pakistan find an answer to its energy-shortage, in the Western world? And will "peaceful nuclear technologies" be one of the "universally" accepted solutions?