ISLAMABAD: The United States' support to India for its inclusion in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) is "unfair and unjust" and Pakistan's application for the membership should be given equal weightage, defence analysts said on Friday.
"The U.S need to have a criteria-based approach rather than a country-specific approach," Dr Riffat Hussain, a defence analyst said in his comments on the recent support expressed by the United States for India's membership in the elite nuclear club.
Dr Riffat Hussain said the American support for Indian membership in NSG and Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) was "not based on a responsible principled position".
"However, Pakistan has a principle stance of adoption of non- discriminatory, equitable and criteria-based approach, which has been supported by a large number of NSG participating governments," he told APP.
About implications of India's NSG membership, he said it would help the country increase its nuclear supplies.
"In this scenario, India will import nuclear supplies for use of civil energy and will utilize its indigenous nuclear reserves for making nuclear weapons," he cautioned.
Also, India will be in a position to block Pakistan's entry to NSG.
Dr Riffat Hussain said China had taken the right stance that exception cannot be taken on a single country.
"China has asserted that if NSG countries make an exception for India, they should do the same for Pakistan," he said.
Defence analyst Lt Gen (Retd) Talat Masood said the American tilt towards India would result in "strategic instability of the region".
Masood, who has also served as a secretary for defence production besides his 39-year military career, said giving exception to India on NSG membership would be a "discriminatory move".
"Both Pakistan and India are non-signatories of Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) and should be treated similarly," Masood told APP.
Masood stressed that Pakistan should mobilize the international community with greater zeal to get its point across and stop India getting the membership of NSG.
He said if membership attained, India would be able to buy nuclear arms and weapons in large quantities resulting in change of balance of power in the region.
Analyst Professor Dr Ijaz Hussain said India's inclusion in NSG would be "devastating" and would lead to 'arms race' in the region.
"India will get the privilege of attaining advanced nuclear technology, which will compel Pakistan to balance the situation by strengthening its own nuclear prowess," he said.
"The main point of contention is that the US want the matter to be India-specific; Pakistan wants it to be rule-based," he said.
Dr Ijaz Hussain said India's membership to NSG could be blocked if China vetoes.
He mentioned that the 'rule of unanimity' prevails in NSG and the applicant country is denied membership even if a single member country opposes it.
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