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Pakistan says it will sign CTBT, but not NPT

Pakistan has stressed prior to crucial talks with the United States on ''issues of mutual concern'', that it will not sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

However, Pakistan was ready to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty after ''the coercive atmosphere and sanctions'' earlier, a foreign ministry spokesman said while briefing the press in Islamabad on the forthcoming talks.

Pakistan foreign secretary Shamshad Ahmed will leave Islamabad on Tuesday for the US for talks with deputy under-secretary of state Strobe Talbott which will be dominated by non-proliferation issue.

A US experts team will follow up the talks in Islamabad on November 9-11 before going to India to discuss the same issues.

Since conducting nuclear tests in May, India and Pakistan have been under pressure from the international community, led by the US, to sign the CTBT unconditionally, to stop producing fissile material and to restrain from arming their missiles with nuclear warheads.

US under-secretary John Holum recently told a United Nations committee that the international community expected India and Pakistan to adhere to the Npt as non-nuclear weapons states.

Pakistan is facing economic collapse because of the sanctions that followed its nuclear tests and is desperately seeking a five billion dollar bail-out.

US President Bill Clinton, who has been authorised by the Congress to waive the sanctions for one year, has invited Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharief to visit Washington in first week of December for talks on security and economic issues.

UNI

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