Zee News - Sino-Pak nuclear impossible
New Delhi, Sept 09: The US Ambassador to India, David Mulford, on Wednesday stated that a nuclear deal between China and Pakistan is not possible as the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group wont grant a waiver to Islamabad.
Incidentally, government sources in India also sounded confident that the Sino-Pak nuke deal is neither viable nor possible.
Their conviction is based on Pakistans poor non-proliferation record and disgraced scientist A Q Khans complicity in it, which will virtually make it impossible for the deal to muster support at the NSG or IAEA.
The statements by US and India come in the wake of Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardaris proposed China visit next week to negotiate a nuclear deal similar to the one between India and the US.
"Pakistan is already in touch with China for the nuclear deal to meet its energy crisis and the talks would start during Zardari's visit," an official said on condition of anonymity.
Zardari, who was elected President last Saturday, will be sworn in today and has already announced that his first foreign visit will be to China.
The official said that under the proposed deal, China will supply nuclear material to Pakistan to meet its energy crisis.
"This has nothing to do with the US-India deal but that has certainly provided us a way out to meet our energy crisis," he said.
Pakistan and China have a long history of close co-operation, including in the nuclear sector. China is said to be the brain behind Pakistans nuclear weapons programme.