India, Pak clash over N-draft doctrine

Kunadi8217;s response came when Pakistan ambassador to the CD, Munir Akram made fresh criticism of India8217;s nuclear doctrine while circulating a statement by Foreign Secretary Shamshad Ahmed attacking New Delhi for the threat posed by 8220;India8217;s nuclear and military plans.8221;

The exchange between the two countries also came on the last day of the annual session of the CD for the year 1999 with the multilateral forum on disarmament remaining deadlocked on starting substantive negotiations to dismantle nuclear weapons.

Declaring that India would not engage in an arms race or other 8220;sterile concepts8221; of the cold war, Kunadi said New Delhi completely rejects the aspersions sought to be portrayed by Pakistan at the CD. Ahmed8217;s statement circulated to the delegates was made at the Institute of Strategic Studies in Islamabad today.

Kunadi said it was India8217;s belief that as a responsible nuclear weapons state, New Delhi should have a clearly stated nuclear doctrine reflecting 8220;openness and transparency, which enables other countries to have a better appreciation and understanding of its policies.8221;

She said while India sought to build an international environment for global nuclear disarmament, it was important that nuclear weapons states accepted their responsibility and defined the objective.

India and Pakistan had also clashed over the issue on August 19 with Ahmed dismissing India8217;s commitment in the doctrine that it would resort to the use of nuclear weapons only in retaliation for a nuclear attack, while Kunadi had asserted that there was no change in the Indian position on the doctrine of minimum credible deterrence.

Ahmed also urged the international community to press India for signing a bilateral test ban treaty with Pakistan.

8220;Until the CTBT comes into force, Pakistan and India should formalise their unilateral moratoriums on further nuclear tests into a binding bilateral arrangement,8221; Ahmed said.

In an obvious reference to India8217;s draft nuclear doctrine, he said 8220;since last year the regional environment has undergone drastic change. We are closely monitoring the situation and will decide our stand on signing CTBT after taking into consideration our supreme national interest.quot;