PAK-NUCLEAR 2 LST

In response to another question, Basit said Pakistan was
not "blocking" nuclear disarmament talks at the UN-sponsored
Conference on Disarmament.

"Pakistan has shown flexibility and did not block the
talks. We would not like our genuine security interests to be
compromised in any manner," he said.
Earlier this week, arms negotiators failed to clear the
way for the start of talks in Geneva on nuclear disarmament as
Pakistan said its security interests had not been respected.

The Conference on Disarmament broke a 12-year stalemate
in May when it agreed on a "work programme" to begin
negotiations on banning the production of fissile material for
nuclear bombs.
Basit said Pakistan went along with the work programme
in May with the hope that it would lead to a balanced outcome.

This included progress on nuclear disarmament, banning
production of fissile material, preventing an arms race in
outer space and "negative security assurances," whereby
countries vow not to use atomic weapons on non-nuclear weapon
states.
"We have legitimate concerns...the other countries did
not show flexibility and so the Conference on Disarmament
could not implement the work programme," he said. PTI RHL
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