Pakistan has declared news of nuclear cooperation with Saudi Arabia as baseless and devoid of truth.
Foreign Office spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam during the weekly press briefing on Thursday said Pakistan has a declared nuclear weapon and civil nuclear programmes. She said Pakistan’s civilian nuclear programme was under IAEA safeguards and was used for energy‚ medical‚ agriculture and other fields.
Tasnim said Saudi Crown Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz al Saud will start a three-day visit to Pakistan from February 15 on the invitation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. She said a Saudi delegation would accompany him. The spokeswoman said both the countries would discuss a wide-range of issues, including trade‚ defence and export of Pakistani manpower to Saudi Arabia.
Tasnim categorically stated Pakistan and Saudi Arabia would not discuss nuclear cooperation during the visit.
She said visit of the Saudi crown prince would provide good opportunity to explore ways and means for further strengthening bilateral cooperation in enhanced trade and investments.
To a question‚ the spokeswoman said as part of Pakistan’s defence cooperation with Saudi Arabia‚ Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif will call on the crown prince‚ as he also holds the office of the Saudi defence minister.
She said both the countries would also be deliberating on regional peace and situation.
Tasnim said Pakistan has decided to resume trade with India through LoC in the best interest of Kashmiris. She said Pakistan did not want to create impediments in this regard and hoped for the same gesture from the other side. She said the proposed meeting of working group on cross-LoC trade was likely to take place in New Delhi shortly.
She termed Pakistan-Afghan-Turkey Trilateral Summit in Ankara as an important move in terms of its timing. She said Afghan presidential elections were going to take place soon and post-drawdown Afghan troops would take over the responsibilities of maintaining peace and security in that country.
Regarding Pakistani student Shah Zaib‚ she said Pakistani mission in United States has extended its full cooperation to Zaib’s family in terms of issuance of visas and their stay in the US. She said already $350‚000 have been spent by the insurance company on Zaib’s medical treatment as he suffered life threatening injuries in an accident in Minnesota. She said additional $90‚000 have been set aside if his family decided to shift him back to Pakistan.
Regarding the question of Pakistan expatriates in Saudi Arabia‚ Tasnim said Pakistani mission and consulates have worked day and night to legalise Pakistani workers’ stay. She‚ however‚ said those who did not pay heed to the advice of Pakistani mission‚ were arrested by Saudi authorities and detained in four detention centres.
She said, “We are completing the process of their verification and re-repatriation from Saudi Arabia.”
She said around 4‚451 Pakistanis have been detained in these detention centres.
The spokeswoman said over 90‚000 Pakistanis were legalised after the Saudi government decided to bring change in labour laws.
The above account presented by the Foreign office spokes person is appreciable. Pakistan's nuclear weapons program is 40 years old and now Pakistan has gained a seasonal experience in operating its nuclear program. Pakistan is also using its nuclear technology in civilian services as well such as agriculture, medicine and cancer treatment. Nuclear cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia will take place in future is baseless and factually incorrect. Both states do have cordial relations but Saudi Arabia cannot buy nuclear weapon from Pakistan being member to NPT.
Why the world loves to cook up stories against nuclear assets of Pakistan again and again? There is a long history of cooperation and coordination between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. So this is not a first time visit of crown prince to Pakistan. This visit actually aimed to explore new areas of development and cooperation. It is a prosperous move but the whole world is having strong speculations against this which are absolutely baseless. Pakistan is a responsible nuclear weapon state and it very well knows how to maneuver with nukes. It can never endanger its state asset which is vital element of statehood. The foreign office categorically declares that there is nothing between the lines which make this visit suspicious.
It is possible only after a joint defence pact between the two countries. Being a Muslim country, it is Pakistan's religious obligation to defend and uphold the integrity of 'Heram.'
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