Washington, despite preaching democracy to the world is ready to consider Islamabad’s bid for civil nuclear deal.
India is watching with concern the high-powered Pakistan-US strategic dialogue scheduled for Wednesday, where army chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani will be present along with foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi. The army commander’s presence indicates once again that Washington, despite preaching democracy to the world, prefers doing business with the Pakistani military.
Ironically, as prime minister Manmohan Singh gets ready for a two-day visit to Washington for president Barack Obama’s nuclear security summit next month, there are indications that the US is willing to consider Islamabad’s bid for a civil nuclear deal, like the one the Bush administration had worked out with India.
It is immaterial whether the nuclear agreement comes through or not, but the fact that the US president, known for his strong views on proliferation, should consider discussing a deal with a country that nurtured the AQ Khan network, has disappointed many in India.
“I am appalled that Obama, who came in like a knight in shining armour, with high moral principles, should come to agreeing to provide civil nuclear power to a country with a record of proliferation,’’ former Indian ambassador to US Lalit Mansingh said.
He believed that America was desperate to get Pakistan’s help for Afghanistan and was ready to promise anything that Islamabad wants. Mansingh added that if Pakistan got its nuclear civil deal wrapped up, why should Iran, Libya or any other country not do the same? “So, to add to our concerns of terrorism emanating from Pakistan-Afghanistan, we will also have to worry about nuclear material falling into the hands of terrorists and fundamentalists. It is a nightmare scenario,’’ Mansingh said.
The former envoy admitted that India-US ties appeared to have hit a stalemate with nothing moving forward, including the reprocessing agreement, which the two countries have not yet been able to finalise.
Khan is known to have been at the centre of a nuclear smuggling ring. Foreign minister SM Krishna reminded Washington of Pakistan’s proliferation record, but there are many within the strategic community in India who do not believe that the US is seriously considering a nuclear deal with Pakistan. “It is unlikely that even if the two start a conversation on civil nuclear co-operation, anything will come of it in the next several years. I see it as more a question of dangling an elusive offer to send a feel good signal to Pakistan. Nothing will come of it,’’ analyst Ajai Sahani said.
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