Pakistan has reiterated its call for an equitable, non-discriminatory and criteria-based approach to promote civil nuclear co-operation and membership of the NSG, says a press release received here on Tuesday from New York. Speaking in UN General Assembly on the report of International Atomic Energy Agency, Pakistan's Acting Permanent Representative, Nabeel Munir said that as a state with strong nuclear suppliers' capabilities and an effective national export control regime, Pakistan has applied for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
"Pakistan views its membership of the export control regimes, particularly the NSG, as a mutually beneficial proposition", he added. Munir told the world body that Pakistan's export control regime is at par with the standards followed by the NSG, the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and the Australia Group. "Pakistan has also declared its voluntary adherence to NSG Guidelines", he added.
He said that with a sizeable civilian nuclear programme and decades of experience in nuclear operations in power generation, health, medicine, agriculture, biotechnology and industrial applications, Pakistan is uniquely placed to offer co-operation in peaceful uses of nuclear energy to developing countries under the IAEA safeguards.
Pakistan, he said, is a strong advocate of utilising nuclear technology for peace, progress and prosperity for all. "As the sixth most populous nation in the world, socio-economic development is a principal priority for Pakistan", he added. Pakistani envoy told that 193-member General Assembly that for over 55 years, Pakistan have sought to enhance application of nuclear technology for socio-economic development. The IAEA, he said, has been a valuable partner in these efforts, including through its Technical Co-operation Programme (TCP).
"We, on our part have also contributed to the TCP in the form of training, provision of experts and hosting of seminars and workshops," he added. Munir said Pakistan has been consistent supporters of the objectives of the Resolution 1540 and has regularly been reporting on national implementation of related obligations. He added, "These reports detail measures taken by Pakistan for nuclear and radiological security, as well as on controls over transfer of sensitive materials and technologies".
Pakistani envoy also told the UN of the country's nuclear regulatory mechanism that has over the past decade, grown into an effective system, underpinned by a robust infrastructure.
"The Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA) has based its regulations on the IAEA safety standards. The Authority also offers itself to independent peer reviews". PNRA, he said, is closely associated with the IAEA, both as a recipient and as a contributor. The Authority, he said, has established a National Institute of Safety and Security (NISAS) for facilitating national and regional training courses on nuclear security.
"The Institute is equipped with state-of-the-art laboratories for training in nuclear radiation safety, nuclear security and physical protection", he added. Pakistan shared the Agency's assessment that nuclear energy would continue to be a preferable source of viable, safe and sustainable alternative, particularly in countries with fast growing energy needs.