Pakistan will not hold nuclear talks with US officials when Army Chief Gen. Raheel Sharif’s visit US next week, local media reported.
“Even if the US side brought up this issue, Pakistan will politely remind them that it was India’s so-called cold-start doctrine that created the current situation,” a source told local media.
The Indian defence minister will also be in Washington during Gen. Sharif’s visit
According to US media reports, American officials will urge Pakistan to revise its nuclear policy during Gen. Sharif’s five-day (Nov. 15-20) visit. But Pakistan rejected the suggestion, from some unnamed US sources quoted in the media, that Pakistan’s fears of an Indian offensive were unfounded.
“Right now, their 21st corps is busy conducting an exercise in Rajasthan to test this cold-start or pro-active strategy,” said a diplomatic source to a local media.
According to a local media, Pakistan did not want to discuss the issue with the Americans because the nuclear issue is not a bilateral subject. “Our nuclear programme focuses only threats from India and only India can remove the concerns that cause these threats,” a source told a local media.
The local media also reported that the focus of talks will be Afghanistan.
The Americans believe that we can play a role in promoting the reconciliation process in Afghanistan and we are ready to play this role.
