By: Salahuddin Bhutto
Lecturer Department of Management Sciences
NUML, Multan Campus.
Email: sbhutto@numl.edu.pk
24th Feb, 2019
The Nuclear Supplier
Group (NSG) is a body of forty-eight states aiming to export nuclear related
material for peaceful purposes. The NSG prohibits nuclear proliferation for
military use. It was created against the backdrop of the Indian nuclear test —
Pokhran-I in 1974 — to regulate the transfer of sophisticated nuclear
technology for peaceful purposes.
Pakistan and India had
applied for NSG membership in May 2016, but it seems Pakistan is being
discriminated against by international players, particularly New Delhi. The
non-Nuclear Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is a bone of contention for membership
of both courtiers because according to the NSG charter, a non-NPT state cannot
be a group member.
Both New Delhi and
Islamabad want to gain access to sophisticated foreign technologies by becoming
part of this international group. Secondly, membership of the NSG will mark
both countries as responsible nuclear states. Thirdly, India wants to pour cold
water over the nuclear deterrence created by Pakistan by consistently upgrading
and modernising its own nuclear arsenal. Finally, Pakistan requires membership
to meet its energy requirements. Nuclear power offers Pakistan an inexpensive
and environmentally safe source of energy compared to fossil fuels. Pakistan is
already working on Karachi Nuclear Power Plants (KANUPP) – II and III but their
successful completion requires access to foreign modern nuclear technology
which is only possible through NSG membership.
Presently, the balance of
power is shifting in Asia due to the rise of China, and India is considered to
be highly important to rebalancing the equation. Therefore, Indian membership
in NSG is been put on advantage over Pakistan. The US and her allies are
consistently lobbying and pressurising other states to accommodate India into
club. The six point solution Pakistan and India’s membership given by former
NSG chairman Rafael Mariano Grossi set pre-conditions for India, that she will
not oppose Pakistan’s membership if Pakistan fulfills all requirements. This
also indicates that Europe and America are interested in giving India a
membership before Pakistan.
Pakistan is continuously
protesting that India’s separation plan for Civil Nuclear facilities has not
been fully implemented; additionally eight Indian civilian nuclear power
reactors are also not operating under the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA)
regulations. Regardless, the international community is giving preferential
treatment to India. Pakistan being a responsible state, has accepted the full
scope of IAEA safeguards and operates under the rules set by UNSC Resolution
1540 but has still not been given the NSG waiver.
Pakistan should adopt
more proactive foreign policy and to find support for its NSG membership. The
government of Pakistan should also sign an agreement for civil nuclear
cooperation with other states to attract them. We should not use China’s
influence to oppose the Indian bid but should remain focused on winning our own
membership.
The NSG, with or without
Pakistan, will lose its meaning if it fails to remember the reason of its
existence. An NSG with India but no Pakistan would disrupt the strategic
stability of South Asia. This will only weaken the non-proliferation effort.
