Getting NSG membership right of Pakistan: FO

“Pakistan has strong credentials to become member of the NSG. The country’s membership, in fact, is in the interest of the nuclear trading countries as it will further promote the non-proliferation objectives,” he said during a weekly news briefing in Islamabad.

Foreign Office has urged the NSG to consider entry applications of Pakistan and India simultaneously and in an even handed manner keeping in view the region’s strategic stability, Radio Pakistan reported.

“Pakistan has strong credentials to become member of the NSG. Pakistan’s membership, in fact, is in the interest of the nuclear trading countries as it will further promote the non proliferation objectives,” he said.

He also expressed hope that Pakistan would get permanent membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

This should be noted that President Mamnoon Hussain has arrived in Tashkent to represent Pakistan in the SCO summit.

Pakistan is expected to sign ‘Memorandum of Obligations’ which will pave the way for the country to be a full member of the SCO. It currently has an Observer status which it received in 2005 and had applied for full membership status in 2010.

Nafees Zakaria said necessary measures have been taken to ensure smooth implementation of border management. He said it was a key component to counter terrorism and stop infiltration of terrorists. He said we have engaged Afghan side on the matter and expressed the confidence this will result in improvement of situation on the border.

He reiterated that a politically negotiated settlement through Afghan owned and afghan led process is the only viable option for bringing lasting peace in Afghanistan.

The spokesperson said tension between Pakistan and Afghanistan at Torkham border had badly affected the bilateral relations. “We never wanted to create tension between the countries.”