US should consider criteria-based nuclear deal with Pakistan: Cohen

The United States should consider a criteria-based nuclear deal with Pakistan as a way to help ensure security of the South Asian country's nuclear assets, Stephen Cohen, a leading American expert on South Asia proposed at a Congressional hearing.
"In the case of nuclear security, we should go beyond encouraging better safeguards. Within the limits of American law, we are providing technologies to Pakistan to help secure their systems. Beyond this, the US should also consider a criteria-based nuclear deal with Pakistan as a way of encouraging them to limit and secure their existing nuclear weapons," Dr Cohen said.
In a testimony before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, he argued "Pakistan could receive support for its civilian nuclear program in exchange for greater assurances regarding the security of its nuclear assets and technology, and transparency regarding past leakage's."
Washington, he said, should "marginally increase its engagement in India-Pakistan relations," pointing out that India is still perceived as main threat, and nuclear weapons are seen as Pakistan's main defence. "We need to address their chief incentive to acquire more and bigger nuclear weapons." The acclaimed expert underlined that short-term measures regarding terrorism and nuclear technology should not get in the way of long term strategies to stabilise Pakistan.
"We should devote as much attention to shoring up Pakistan's broken institutions and helping Pakistanis resolve their permanent domestic political crisis as we devote to terrorism and nuclear issues. For if we fail to do the former, the latter will certainly become more acute." Cohen, who has authored several books on South Asia, said the United States' policy toward Pakistan "should be framed by a regional policy that seeks to stabilise relations between Pakistan and its neighbours, India and Afghanistan."
"We also need to make our support for Pakistan more effective. We have poured many billions of dollars into Pakistan, but as in the past, we have not done a good job of linking aid, loans, and grants to specific policy goals. We should stovepipe our aid, linking it to performance on those areas we judge to be most important. In addition, the aid process must be far more transparent."