BRUSSELS: Senator Sehar Kamran Thursday presented Pakistan’s case for the Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG) membership at a roundtable talk at the European Institute for Asian Studies (EIAS) in Brussels.
The talk was attended by experts from the EIAS, including the institute’s CEO Axel Goethals, and experts from the Centre for Pakistan and Gulf Studies (CPGS), and was organised to discuss the Pakistani perspective, both in terms of its compulsions and credentials for becoming part of the prestigious group.
Senator Kamran highlighted Pakistan’s numerous achievements within the nuclear field, as well its untapped market potential. She also raised concerns about the discriminatory treatment currently being faced by Pakistan in terms of the international push for India’s unilateral membership of the NSG. “Continuing discriminatory and asymmetrical policies in South Asia and the unilateral membership of India will be detrimental for the region as a whole,” she said.
She also raised the issue of the increasing Indian hostility towards its neighbour and its impact on regional stability and prosperity. She expressed concern over the attempted sabotage activities inside Pakistan that are targeting the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and attempting to fan unrest in parts of the country, with the objective of detracting international attention from Kashmir and isolating Pakistan internationally.
Pakistan, she said, has had paid the highest amount of sacrifices in the war on terror. “India’s continuous blame game against Pakistan without evidence must be noticed in order for Pakistan’s position and defence compulsions to be understood.”
The EIAS chief executive officer lauded Pakistan’s counter-terrorism efforts, and praised the resilience of the Pakistani people in the face of such difficulties.
The discussion also considered importance of regional connectivity, highlighting the success of the EU model, and emphasising the importance of the initiatives that were being taken to strengthen connectivity in South Asia, including Pakistan’s membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and the development of the CPEC project.