Summary National interest top priority, no compromise on our position on nuclear assets possible, says PM
LONDON: (Dunya News) – Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has on Monday said that no compromise on Pakistan’s nuclear assets is possible. He said that national interest of the country is the top priority of the government, reported Dunya News.
Talking to media in London before leaving for United States (US), PM Nawaz said that his visit will improve the relations between the two countries. Answering a question on this occasion, PM said that he was the Prime Minister of Pakistan at the time of nuclear explosions in 1999. “Who was the PM in 1999 at the time of nuclear explosions? Pakistan’s national interest is our top priority”, said Nawaz. He added that no compromise on Pakistan’s policy about nuclear assets is possible.
Nawaz Sharif said that the interests of Pakistan will be looked after during his US visit. He told that solid evidence of Indian intelligence agency RAW’s interference in Pakistan has been provided to the United Nations (UN).
Answering a question over Pakistani politics, Nawaz said that crying rigging after every election defeat is a proof of political immaturity. “There must be some stance that PTI remains firm at. Now they are raising the voter lists’ issue”, he said. He added that the government had set up the judicial commission and held the election as well but didn’t demand a stay order from the court. He said that PTI should learn some lesson from a crushing defeat in Okara. “Politicians should act like mature people”, he said.
PM said that there is no pressure on the government about China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and work is in progress on various projects. He said that load shedding will be over by 2018.
Yesterday, Foreign Advisor Sartaj Aziz had also said that US should try to avoid becoming a reason of disparity in the region. In an interview with British news channel, Sartaj Aziz said that the national interest and security of Pakistan will never be compromised.
Also read: Sartaj Aziz tells US not to be reason for disparity in region
In an interview to British channel, Sartaj Aziz said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is visiting the US next week and will discuss the relations with India, opportunities for investment and trade in Pakistan and peace in Afghanistan with the US officials. He said that India may have any kind of relations with the US but in a situation when the relations between India and Pakistan are quite tense, the US should abstain from fueling the strategic and traditional imbalance in the region to a point where it becomes a threat to regional security.
Responding to a question over US’s role in Pak-India relations, Sartaj Aziz said that all the countries in the world, including the US, want both the countries to resolve their issues through talks but it is a basic prerequisite for the talks that the imbalance in the region doesn’t rise.
After the rejection of any chances of an immediate civil-nuclear deal with Pakistan by the US officials and their renewed interest in the security of Pakistan’s nuclear assets just ahead of PM’s US visit, Sartaj Aziz said that the issue is under discussion for a long time and the international community is quite satisfied with the security of Pakistan’s nuclear assets. He said that Pakistan’s top priority is its national interest and national security. “No compromise in this regard can be expected”, said Aziz.
“As far as inclusion of Pakistan in the mainstream global nuclear club is concerned, we are already working on it”, said Aziz. He expressed hope that Pakistan and India would both be made members of the nuclear suppliers’ group together.
Talking about elongated stay of the US forces in Afghanistan, Aziz said that Pakistan would welcome any action aimed at bringing stability to Afghanistan. He said that the US president has hinted at his readiness to discuss peace in Afghanistan but the decision making power in this regard lies with the Afghan government. “If Afghan government would want Pakistan to be part of the peace process, Pakistan will be glad to extend cooperation”, he said.
Aziz added that Pakistan has already rejected the allegation of Pakistani intelligence officials’ involvement in Kandooz attack and such allegations may affect the talks with the US officials.
