Wednesday, April 5 2006 12:55 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New York: Despite Washington's continued rejections of its demand for parity in civil nuclear ties, Pakistan claimed it 'qualified' for an arrangment similar to the Indo-US nuclear deal, pleading that 'there is still time' to rectify the situation.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz asked the US to adopt 'a package approach' for India and Pakistan, saying it would help prevent a nuclear arms race and promote restraint while ensuring that the legitimate needs of both countries for power generation are met.

Pakistan, he claimed, qualified for the type of arrangements that the United States has made with India.

There is still time for rectify the situation and if that is not done, a major opportunity could be lost, Aziz said at Columbia University last night.

A selective and discriminatory approach would have serious implications for the security environment in South Asia as well as for international non-proliferation efforts, he added.

"As part of our effort to promote international security, Pakistan has offered a Strategic Restraint Regime to India aimed at stabilising nuclear deterrence in South Asia and avoiding an arms race in strategic and conventional weapons," he said.

Pakistan was determined to prevent terrorists and extremists from acquiring weapons of mass destruction or know-how, he said, and claimed a major role for Islamabad in dismantling its former top scientist A Q Khan's network of international nuclear black market.