Over the past fortnight, as the world’s attention has been focused on the evolving situation surrounding the crisis at Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power stations, two other nuclear developments passed largely unnoticed.
First, the International Atomic Energy Agency granted its approval of two new nuclear reactors that China is planning to build at Chashma in Pakistan. This is in addition to the two that Beijing is already engaged in developing at the same site, something which it had disclosed at the time of its joining the Nuclear Suppliers Group in 2004. China’s commitment to building Chashma 3 and 4 has only surfaced in the last couple of years, after the granting of the NSG waiver on international nuclear commerce to India.
The second key bit of news was the US decision to tamely accept the Chinese move to extend nuclear cooperation to Pakistan, a non-signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, despite a clear violation of the international guidelines on nuclear trade. Indeed, the US assistant secretary responsible for South Asian affairs even defended the deal by highlighting Pakistan’s energy deficit!
Whether or not the two new reactors are able to ease the electricity situation for Pakistan, it’s clear that a country with nuclear weapons can get away with a lot more than one that doesn’t have such weapons of mass destruction.
Pakistan’s ability to use its nuclear weapons as a bargaining chip—for conventional weaponry, for financial support from other Muslim nations, for evading sanctions over nuclear proliferation, for escaping retaliation by using the shield of nuclear weapons while allegedly fomenting cross-border terrorism in India—has been proven time and again. No wonder nuclear weapons are seen as the most important strategic asset of the Pakistani military establishment.
Ever since India was granted the NSG waiver that made it eligible for international nuclear trade, Pakistan has cried foul. The pity is when other nations, including the United States, begin to accept the Pakistani argument that it’s being discriminated against. Nothing could be further from the truth. The fact of the matter is that India earned the waiver by strictly observing the principle of non-proliferation, and it has a six-decade track record to show for it. The Pakistani establishment, meanwhile, has run a well-documented nuclear proliferation enterprise in which it has at times clandestinely accepted nuclear weapons technology and material, and clandestinely retransferred it to others.
The international community hasn’t been able to punish Islamabad for any of these acts. But to condone them and actually accept that there should be parity in treatment between India and Pakistan on nuclear cooperation should be unacceptable.
The two countries are wide apart in their nuclear behavior. There can be no room for equal treatment.
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Mishmael
I happen to disagree with the author’s stance. Nuclear proliferation can come in many forms, whether it be in selling nuclear material and expertise to restricted nations, or by misusing civilian nuclear technology for military purposes. India’s nuclear weapons test at Pokhran in 1974, which was only possible because India misappropriated civilian nuclear technology supplied to it by Canada, is proliferation all the same. If India truly observed the principle of non-proliferation it would never have developed nuclear weapons or would have given them up like South Africa and Qaddafi.
Because nuclear proliferation exists with only one act, the history of nuclear activity has no bearing on a country’s proliferation status. Otherwise there could not be a standard of proliferation because nuclear technology is a dual-use technology. It could be argued that any country which supplies nuclear know-how to any other country is indirectly benefiting that country’s nuclear program which may lead to weapons. This is why an arbitrary list of nuclear weapons states (the P-5 under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty) is recognized by more than just the five official nuclear weapons states. Non-weapons states are basically guaranteed the benefit of the doubt so that they can use nuclear weapons. Obviously certain countries would cry foul at not being “allowed” to develop nuclear weapons, but that is a matter of politics, not justice.
Kamarov
#Mishmael Entire NSG disagrees with you. Perhaps leaders of 46 nations aren’t as smart as you are. Perhaps this is because of your self fabricated definition of Proliferation.
Michael
Correction:
It should read “Non-weapons states are basically guaranteed the benefit of the doubt so that they can use nuclear energy.”
Sorry for any confusion
JD
Pak is nuclear firstly because of USA and then China, so what international community can punish Pakistan ?
Frank
International community should punish both Pakistan and India.
arjun
First THE western states with ICBMs and First use policy. Do they have “horns”? or Do they have good history? Are they not mostly colonials?
Mikhail
True, Pakistan has a history of nuclear proliferation. But that’s not the point. China’s helping Pakistan not because India was granted a waiver and thought Pakistan deserved the same (the Communist Party’s not stupid–hell, no one is that stupid). China is seeking to contain India. With the railway into Tibet, patronage in Burma (and now Nepal), the only place left is India’s western flank.
Petrovich
So you think Pakistan, the hotbed of terrorism and the country responsible for most of the nuclear proliferation, shall be given equal treatment for nuclear supply in line with a nation which never proliferated? Don’t you think you are being one sided?
China is seeking to contain India, thats true but China’s influence is heavily overrated as it is only limited to military regimes. You are saying that China has contained India by building railway in Tibet? I think that is a gross exaggeration. As for the patronage in Burma, the Burma has just, for the first time in 50 years, ended its military rule and gave power to Civil government. Just within 5 years N.Korea’s regime too will end (a personal prediction) and with it whats left of China’s influence in Asia.
F mudassir
Well done for those who can see a tree but fail to see jungle. Assertion about pakistani prolifration biased. India conducted nuclear test in 1974 to diplay its power. CAN SOMEBODY HIGHLITE FROM WHERE THIS NUCLEAR MATERIAL CAME. CANADA, SO CANADA IS A PROLIFERATOR.
JD
China is seeking to contain India.That’s right.Add Sri Lanka in the south.But what was stupid America thinking when china was sending all that nuclear stuff to pakistan.Ha ha
Danish
What a biased article! India has a record of security failures at her nuclear establishments while Pakistan has been fool proof. The reason international community fears Pakistan’s nukes as compared to India is because Pakistan is an ‘Islamic’ republic not just a normal republic. The fear is that the nuclear weapons might fall into the wrong hands, by wrong they only mean anti-West. It is indeed a biased attitude that India gets access to nuclear commerce based on its energy requirements and Pakistan is denied the same.
The message coming out of Islamabad is, WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF TWO FACED ATTITUDE FROM THE WEST AND INDIA, NOW WE’RE NOT GOING TO TAKE ANY MORE OF IT.
If you think I’m wrong, you need to study Pressler Amendment and Arms embargoes imposed on Pakistan time and again in spite of being a western ally. No other ally of the Great powers have suffered so much as the Pakistanis over the past 60 years.
Nikhil
Mr. what do u know how much it has suffered . . . pakistan is one of the countrys who have got support from both china and US, and its one of the countrys who have since decades diverted its aid from US and china for creating proxy war and non state factors against india…. these all terrorist base have come accross pakistan have solely been concentrated towards india… so pakistan made a choice just to trouble india with its terrorist base camps…. and as far as proliferation is concerned india’s record is crystal clear sin 74, as after that india has not indulged in any kind of that activity its whole nuclear programme has been indegeniously developed…. on the other hand pakistan has its connection with libya, north korea. . . and even iran. . . so i think it is comletely false of u to sympathise with this rogue country. . .
Sam Doyle
Get over the scaremongering, and write something that will help the situation in south asia, not exacerbate it. Always pakistan this, pakistan that, pakistan bla bla bla. get over it and concentrate on building bridges, not burning them down. so what if pakistan wants to build nuclear reactors – it is entitled to build them. they have energy issues. every issue has to be seen with a microscope to pick up the little dust you can find on pakistan.
dil nawaz
the report is not cascaded correctly, there is no news here. what is your point. agree with jd pakistan is nuclear power. usa and china are also nuclear power. the media in india is a multitude of impotent reporters who feel an urge to let out there frustration on pakistan. give me some real news. poverty in pakistan and india, the corruption in the political sphere and how we can take steps to resolve it. how can the south asia power houses work together for the betterment of the people of south asia.
Imran
This is a highly biased article written for a site that has “diplomat” as part of its name. Pakistan has a history of proliferation but so does every nuclear country. LET ME REPEAT EVERY NUCLEAR COUNTRY INCLUDING INDIA IS GUILTY OF TRANSFERRING OR GAINING ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY VIA “ILLEGITIMATE” MEANS.
Pakistan will do what’s best in its national interests and so will India and so will China and the US.
Frank
“Pakistan will do what’s best in its national interests and so will India and so will China and the US.”
Here, here.
Jay
It’s ‘hear, hear!’
As in ‘Hear him, he speaks the truth! I agree!’.
Kamarov
@Danish , Imran, Doyle and Dil Nawaz (since you said same things using almost the same words).
From wikipedia
“In 2003, IAEA unearthed a nuclear black market with close ties to Pakistan. It was widely believed to have direct involvement of the government of Pakistan. This claim could not be verified due to the refusal of the government of Pakistan to allow IAEA to interview the alleged head of the nuclear black market, who happened to be no other than Dr. Khan. Dr. Khan later confessed to his crimes on national television, bailing out the government by taking full responsibility. He confessed to nuclear proliferation from Pakistan to Iran and North Korea. He was immediately given presidential immunity. Exact nature of the involvement at the governmental level is still unclear, but the manner in which the government acted cast doubt on the sincerity of Pakistan.”
Add in the fact that Pakistan is hotbed of terrorism, it has military rulers taking over power and Pakistan even threatened use of nukes after Mumbai terrorists attack. How is in any way Pakistan an responsible country?
Also stop fabricating lies as India’s impeccable record in this field is acknowledged by all nuclear suppliers including Russia, USA, Japan , Canada, France, South Korea, Ukraine, United Kingdom and others (total of 46 countries).
So do you know more than all world leaders?
And on what basis? A new self formed definition of Proliferation?
Are you not aware that India faced decades long ban after its nuclear explosion?
Is Pakistan not under semi-military control and threatens to use nuclear weapons in any kind of conflict?
Is west not providing Pakistan with all kind of aid including military hardware and billions of dollars worth of aid? How is west biased against Pakistan?
Harry Khan,Cheshire, UK
No wonder the author is an Indian and Hindu fundamentalist, who just wanted to portray India as a responsible state while Pakistan the mother of all doom and gloom. Who started this nuclear arms race in South Asia? Who is the biggest arms importer in the region? Who was in communist block for half a century and who is buying new nuclear reactors and technology from all over the World? People are not stupid to believe cheap articles based on distorted facts, everybody has access to the internet and history of the Sub-Continent.
AA
I am for Pakistan to give up Nuclear weapons if all the countries agreed to do the same FIRST!!!
siddique
Fully Biased Article,
US/Russia has worst record as for as proliferation are concerns. so does it mean that US/Russia should give up its nuclear technology. lol
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Ridiculous
Ali
Pakistan has serious electric shortages. Pakistan and American I hope come to a stronger friendship, because the greatest danger actually not just to Pakistan but also to America’s future is actually India. The Indian population actually has been playing the USA just as Israeil has. At the end of the day I hope Pakistan and America can build a very strong relationship to counter the Indian Soviet relationship.