Later, Hua reiterated that admission of new members is not on the agenda of the NSG meeting in Seoul.
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“External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj yesterday (Sunday) said that India will not oppose Pakistan’s entry into Nuclear Suppliers Group”, said senior party leader Jairam Ramesh, noting that Pakistan “is known across the world for nuclear black-marketing”. The NSG works under the principle of unanimity and even one country’s vote against India can scuttle its bid.
She also said Pakistan and India were enjoying warm relationship and after the Pathankot air base attack in India Nawaz Sharif himself had offered to help with the Pathankot probe.
“This warmth and simplicity in relations between two Prime Ministers were never there in the past”, she said.
“All major issues, including India’s NSG membership, were discussed”, the MEA spokesperson said about the visit on June 16-17.
“As you know, during Prime Minister Modi’s visit, the President welcomed India’s application to join the NSG and reaffirmed that India is ready for membership”. China is also backing Pakistan in the NSG.
Ms Swaraj also used the occasion to articulate at length the Modi Government’s Pakistan policy during which she gave a terse message to the neighbouring country that talks and terror could not go together.
In comments that come just ahead of the plenary at Seoul of the 48-member nuclear grouping, the writer says: “India joining NSG does not harm China’s own interests”. “India sees this as a procedural block by China. We think that the application of each country should be considered on the basis of their merit”, she added.
Responding to a Mail Today question, Sushma Swaraj clarified that New Delhi is not in a position to block Pakistan’s possible entry into the nuclear club at the moment since India is yet to join itself.
China has been opposed to India’s membership to the bloc on the grounds that it is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
The minister, however, maintained, it will be erroneous to suggest that “in order to maintain a harmonious relation, we will be either careless or neglect security”.
However, China’s call for talks among NSG members about “India and other Non-NPT” members indicate that Beijing may push for the case of Pakistan, which in the past has been accused of passing of nuclear technology to Iran and other countries.
Consensus among member countries is essential to allow a new entrant.
All Nuclear Weapons State members of the NSG as well as de facto Nuclear Weapons States outside it have behaved irresponsibly both in failing to live up to the NPT’s disarmament obligations and in promoting proliferation one way or the other.
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“Indian seriousness over the issue can be gauged by Prime Minister Modi’s speech to the US Congress”, Khan added.
