New Delhi
29 July 2006
Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri has said that a new
nuclear reactor under construction at the Khushab nuclear complex was "safe in our
hands" and would not spark an arms race with India. Kasuri is the first senior Pakistani
official to talk about the plant. India has not made any official comments although certain
members of parliament did raise the issue in Parliament last week.
"It's nothing new, the world knows about it, the world knows that it's safe in our hands ....
It's five years old, it's nearing completion now, I don't know the timing," Kasuri was
quoted as saying in Kuala Lumpur where he attended a meeting of Association of South
East Asian Nations Regional Forum (ARF) meeting.
On July 26 the spokesman of the Ministry of External Affairs said, "We have seen those
news reports. If we have any detailed reaction, we will let you know." When prodded, he
said, "I have already answered that question. But let me add that people have been
asking me if this is part of the list of nuclear installations that is exchanged on January
1. But I must tell you, that this is purely a list of coordinates of the nuclear facilities. It
does not give details of the facilities."
International observers reacted with alarm after the Washington Post on Monday
reported the reactor's existence, citing the US-based International Institute for Science
and International Security. The group said satellite photos showed the heavy water
reactor could produce more than 200 kilogrammes of weapons-grade plutonium a year.
This would be enough to make 40 to 50 nuclear weapons every year.
Kasuri did not specify whether or not the new nuclear plant in Pakistan's Punjab province
would be used to produce nuclear weapons but he insisted that Pakistan had legislation
in place to cover its use and that it abided by international regulations.
"We passed comprehensive export-control legislation, we are adopting the best
practices, this is in consonance with the NSG (Nuclear Suppliers' Group) guidelines,"
Kasuri said.
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