Tuesday, April 12 2005 10:14 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Islamabad: Pakistan yesterday (Apr 11, 2005) said that it will not sign the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty (NPT) without being recognised by the international community as a nuclear State, even as a two-member delegation of Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG) held the first ever talks on issues relating to non-proliferation with Pakistani officials.

"Pakistan is a nuclear weapons State and Pakistan cannot sign NPT as a non nuclear member State," Foreign office Spokesman Jalil Abbas Jilani told reporters in Islamabad.

He said that the current NSG Chairman Richard Ekwall and incoming Chairman Roant Naess met Additional Foreign Secretary Tariq Usman Hyder and held "extremely fruitful discussion". This is the first time NSG holds talks with Pakistan officials, in the backdrop of admissions of supplying nuclear centrifuges to Iran by Pakistan nuclear scientist, Dr A Q Khan who is currently being held in Islamabad under house arrest.

"The visit afforded the opportunity to explain steps Pakistan has taken for the establishment of export control regime and sensitive material and technology, consistent with Pakistan's strong commitment to nuclear non-proliferation," Jilani said.

He said Pakistan was a responsible nuclear weapon state Pakistan fulfilled most of the criteria of becoming a member of the NSG. Asked whether Pakistan wanted to join NSG he said the issue was not discussed.

Pakistan had not made any formal request for joining the group. It was the first such meeting between the two sides and was exploratory in nature, he added.