Wednesday, March 8 2006 11:19 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington: In the first direct comment on the reason for rejection of a civilian nuclear deal for Pakistan on the lines of the historic Indo-US agreement, the US yesterday(Mar 7,2006) said it was because of that country's 'proliferation history.'

"Well, obviously, the Pakistanis want to continue to have a good relationship with us. It`s not going to be possible for us to have a civil nuclear relationship with Pakistan of the type that we've just announced with India. Because of history, because of their proliferation history," Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns told CBS channel's 'Charlie Rose Show.'

Burns' comment was an obvious reference to the global nuclear proliferation network carried out by the disgraced Pakistani nuclear scientist A Q Khan.

Burns also said India's military programme was never the focus of the landmark Indo-US civil nuclear agreement and brushed aside notions that it was meant to contain China.

"We never set out to arrange a deal that would roll back India`s entire nuclear programme over the last 30 years, meaning the nuclear weapons programme. It was not meant to. This deal was meant to do one thing: Take the largest country in the world.Which had been completely outside the international mainstream we had zero impact on its nuclear facilities. We did not have the ability to have any kind of strategic oversight over its nuclear programmes, " he said.

"And they will accept on the majority two-thirds of the nuclear programmes, international inspection. That`s what we set out to do," said Burns, who played a crucial role in finalising the civil nuclear agreement.