US concessions in civil nuclear deals should not be country-specific: Fatemi

ISLAMABAD (Staff Report) - Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi has said any concessions granted by the United States in civil nuclear deals should not be country-specific rather there must be some criteria.

In an interview, he said Pakistan's nuclear programme should not be seen in isolation, but in its regional context.

Expressing reservations over the nuclear concessions granted to India, he said the matter will raise during the Prime Minister's visit to the US next week.
To a question, Fatemi said Pakistan had an ideal command and control system for the nuclear programme.

It is purely for peaceful purposes and has acknowledged and admired by the international community. Trade, economy, investment, and energy will be on the agenda of the talks with US officials as Pakistan is an ideal country for foreign investment with positive trends in national economy.

Fatemi said forceful raising of the Kashmir issue by the Prime Minister at the United Nations General Assembly will continue to haunt India for long.

He said Pakistan always desired peaceful neighborhood and immediate withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan will have negative impact until the Afghan forces are trained enough to handle the situation independently.