UNITED STATES: PAKISTANI FOREIGN MINISTER ABDUL SATTAR APPEALS FOR U.S. TO TREATY HIS COUNTRY EQUITABLY AND NOT TO LIFT SANCTIONS ONLY ON INDIA

Record ID: 338384

  • Title: UNITED STATES: PAKISTANI FOREIGN MINISTER ABDUL SATTAR APPEALS FOR U.S. TO TREATY HIS COUNTRY EQUITABLY AND NOT TO LIFT SANCTIONS ONLY ON INDIA
  • Date: 18th June 2001
  • Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (JUNE 18, 2001) (REUTERS) 1. ZOOM OUT: PAKISTANI FOREIGN MINISTER ABDUL SATTAR WALKS TO PODIUM 0.15 2. WS: MEDIA/AUDIENCE 0.19 3. SV: (SOUNDBITE) (English) SATTAR SAYING "The United States, of course, has no legal obligation to continue to to provide economic assistance or to sell military equipment to Pakist
  • Embargoed: 3rd July 2001 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES
  • City:
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVAAW6CSHJC7YHY44CDHNXJV2UD1
  • Story Text: Pakistani Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar has appealed
    for the United States to treat his country equitably and not
    lift sanctions only on India.


    Sattar addressed a conference of disarmament experts
    on Monday (June 18) ahead of talks with National Security
    Adviser Condoleezza Rice and, on Tuesday (June 19) with
    Secretary of State Colin Powell.

    He also reaffirmed Pakistan's nuclear test moratorium,
    saying "in effect, Pakistan is observing the Comprehensive
    Test Ban Treaty in anticipation of its coming into force."
    "I'm here to explain the case against sanctions...Our hope
    is that an administration that attaches importance, value to
    50 years of friendship and cooperation ... will be equitable
    in their decision and not maintain these sanctions (on
    Pakistan) which in my view have become counterproductive," he
    said.

    The administration of President George W. Bush is expected
    to soon lift sanctions on India imposed three years ago as
    punishment for New Delhi conducting nuclear weapons tests.

    Lifting sanctions imposed on Pakistan for the same reason
    is also under consideration but less certain.

    U.S. officials said a factor in their decision will be
    discussions this week between Sattar and the administration.

    In addition to the nuclear issue, they are keen to discuss
    Pakistan's continued support for the Taliban government in
    Afghanistan which Washington opposes because of its backing
    for extremists like Osama bin Laden, the Saudi dissident
    indicted in the bombing of two U.S. embassies in Africa in
    1998.

    The nuclear test-related sanctions imposed on India and
    Pakistan included bans on foreign assistance, munitions sales
    and licenses; government credits and financial assistance; and
    U.S. support for multilateral financial assistance.

    After Congress gave him authority, President Bill Clinton
    in 1999 waived sanctions on India pertaining to a broad range
    of U.S. government programs and commercial transactions.

    Sanctions on Pakistan were also waived, but they were
    limited to purchasing food or other agricultural commodities.

    Both countries want all sanctions permanently removed.

    Pakistan is also subject to other sanctions, including
    some relating to the 1999 military coup that ousted an elected
    democratic government.

    For years, the United States treated India and Pakistan as
    a pair, calibrating its policy according to its impact on one
    or the other South Asian rival. But Bush's administration has
    made clear its intention to delink the two.

    This raises questions about the extent to which the United
    States may be undermining Pakistan, whose troubled economy has
    been hardest hit by the sanctions, and just what signal it may
    send about its strategy for dealing with countries seeking
    nuclear capability.

    In his speech, Sattar insisted that since it conducted
    nuclear tests in May 1998 -- catapulting Pakistan, as well as
    India, into the elite club of nuclear weapons states --
    Islamabad has exercised restraint and will continue to do so.

    To reduce the risk of technology theft or accidental
    launches of nuclear weapons, the military-led government has
    upgraded its command and control mechanisms, created a nuclear
    regulatory authority and issued regulations and orders to
    prevent export of fissile materials, he said.

    Pakistan has not taken the step demanded by the
    international community of actually signing the CTBT because
    of domestic opposition and the fact that political leaders are
    too busy with the urgent tasks of trying to revive the economy
    and restore government credibility, the minister said.

    But he expressed confidence that "patient efforts" to
    explain the treaty will lead to formal Pakistani backing.

    Pakistan is not the only obstacle to the CTBT, an
    international regime aimed at ending all nuclear testing,
    coming into force. India has not signed it and while the
    United States signed it, the U.S. Senate refused to ratify it.

    Bush is strongly opposed and has no plans to try to revive it.


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