LONDON (PTI): Pakistan premier Nawaz Sharif has sought to justify Islamabad’s nuclear program linking it with the Kashmir issue, Stating that “the nuclear problem will only be solved when Kashmiris solved.”
Than interview with “Financial Times” Sharif said “Even if we solve the nuclear issue, the tensions will not be resolved.”
Justifying the linkage, the Pakistan prime minister said the need to have “a large defence capability” arose precisely because of the Kashmir problem.
He said the solution to the problem of Kashmir, which is the cause of heavy defence spending, carries highest priority.
Arms spending accounts for nearly a third of Pakistan’s annual budget.
Sharif said he had made this very clear to Indian premier Narasimha Rao during their meeting in Rio De Janeiro.
According to media reports, the ‘Pakistan prime minister told President George Bush in Rio that the “nuclear issue may be important for Washington, but Kashmir is the most important issue for Pakistan.”
Pakistan’s nuclear program also came up for discussion at the official talks between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and British premier John Major recently. Major said Britain would like both India and Pakistan to sign the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Pakistan foreign secretary Shahrayar Khan later told Pakistani reporters that Sharif explained to major his country’s position on the nuclear issue.
Sharif told the British premier that Pakistan was willing to join the five-nation conference on a nuclear free south Asia, Islamabad was even willing to have bilateral talks with India to discuss nonproliferation of nuclear weapons in the region, he said.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 3, 1992
