Islamabad: Pakistan has expressed serious concern over the uranium supply agreement between India and Canada.
Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi stated that providing India with advanced reactor technology and uranium constitutes yet another exemption under global nuclear rules, which could adversely affect the strategic balance in the region.
Tahir Andrabi pointed out that in the past, India used a Canadian-supplied reactor to conduct its 1974 nuclear explosion.
He noted that the very country whose actions led to the establishment of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) is now being granted preferential facilities.
The Foreign Office spokesperson highlighted that India has not placed all of its civilian nuclear facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards. With external uranium supplies, India could divert its domestic uranium reserves exclusively for the production of nuclear weapons.
Tahir Andrabi warned that this agreement poses a serious risk of disrupting the strategic balance in South Asia and accelerating an arms race in the region.
Pakistan has demanded that instead of granting preferential treatment for nuclear cooperation, uniform standards based on international norms should be applied.
The spokesperson emphasized that Canada’s move undermines the credibility of the global nuclear non-proliferation regime.
