[sacw] [ACT] saanp (28 March 00)

[Harsh Kapoor]

South Asians Against Nukes Post
28 March 2000
__________________________

March 13, 2000

Press Release

Roundtable Discussion on CTBT: A Political Consultation

The Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Islamabad in
collaboration with the Liberal Forum Pakistan organised a Roundtable
Political Consultation on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) on
Monday, March 13, 2000 at a local hotel in Islamabad. The objective of
this Consultation was to solicit and bring forward the views of major
political parties on the issue of signing CTBT.

Shahrukh Rafi Khan from SDPI initiated the proceeding. Dr. Shireen Mazari,
a nuclear and security expert introduced the CTBT. She said the CTBT is a
follow-up of the Partial Test Ban Treaty (PTBT) of 1963 that Pakistan has
signed and ratified. The CTBT does not distinguish or discriminate between
nuclear and non-nuclear weapon states. It does not deal with nuclear
weapons only with explosive nuclear testing. It allows cold testing and
nuclear simulation for all states able to do so. The CTBT will enter into
force only after ratification by 44 designated states. Out of these 44
states, 41 have signed the CTBT only Pakistan, India and North Korea have
not. Its verification regime is designed to monitor only the occurrence of
nuclear explosions and that too is a lengthy procedure.

Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy, eminent physicist and peace activist argued for "Why
Pakistan should sign the CTBT now". The CTBT does not prohibit from
possessing nuclear weapons and it does not need to test because it
possesses only simple fission uranium weapons. He referred to the bomb
dropped on Hiroshima, which belonged to this category, was never tested.
Pakistan can test again (though it should not and should not have done so
in the first place) if India tests there exists a clear escape clause in
the text of the CTBT that allows withdrawal in the event of "extraordinary
events" that might jeopardize a countrys "supreme interests". Pakistan
will not be subjected to any intrusive verification procedure of its
nuclear weapons facilities. And it can hope to gain a modest economic and
political dividend by signing the CTBT. India loses more by not testing.
It has a much more ambitious program than Pakistans that includes boosted
fission and thermonuclear weapons. In contrast to India, apart from a few
dissenting individuals, the Pakistani nuclear establishment is generally
equivocal, and even supportive, of the CTBT. If India signs before
Pakistan, all advantages will be lost. Disregard the uninformed,
war-mongering right-wing opposition that does not know or represent the
interests of the Pakistani people. Therefore, Pakistan should sign the
CTBT now!

Imtiaz Alam, Editor Current Affairs, the News said that CTBT is not an
issue as far as peace lobby is concerned. It is the agenda of hawks which
is being politicised in religio-sovreignity jargon by lobbies who want
Pakistan to be isolated from the world. He siad the present government does
not seem serious in signing the CTBT, otherwise why would it announce that
it wants to achieve a national consensus? Pakistan did not seek a national
consensus for putting its signature on the Chemicals Weapons Convention
that is far more intrusive treaty. How would this government assess that
now it has attained the national consensus? Pakistan does not has teeth to
match India in the arms race. Its survival lies in economic progress and
social reconstruction.

Mr. Akram Zaki who belongs to PML-N but who chose to speak as a
professional said that Pakistan should take its time to decide about the
CTBT because it is linked to the over-all non proliferation regime. In
case, Pakistan wants to build tactical nuclear weapons, it may not be easy
for Pakistan to get out of the CTBT. His presentation got flak from
discussants that regarded his ideas of a tactical nuclear theatre
irrelevant in the case of Pakistan. Mr. Farhatullah Babar represented the
PPP. He emphasised that we should take into account other kind of
securities other than the military security. He said national security
depends on the rule of law, fairness and national cohesion. Mushroom
growth of "Jehadi" groups and dictatorship is a much bigger threat to
national security than signing the CTBT which is not a discriminatory
treaty. Director Disarmament, Mr. Abdul Bsit represented the Foreign Office
of Pakistan the present government will take a decision in the best
interests of the country and agreed with earlier speakers that CTBT is not
a discriminatory treaty. A heated discussion round the table followed the
presentations.