US nuke "promise" to Pak shocks BJP

Calls USA's interest in the deal 'highly disturbing'

GN Bureau | March 22, 2010



The Bhartiya Janata Party on Monday expressed shock over the US's reported offer to ink with Pakistan a civil nuclear deal despite admitting it as "an unreliable nuclear state vulnerable to nuclear pilferage by non-state actors" (read terrorists).

BJP spokesman Tarun Vijay asked the US to institute a foolproof monitoring mechanism to assure that billions of dollars it has given to Islamabad do not fall in the hands of terror groups working against India

"The US has a responsibility to assure India about the tight monitoring of its billions to a fluid state like Pakistan and assure regular report to us on it," he demanded.

Pointing out that the American funding of Pakistan has gone on unabated during Barack Obama's  presidency, Vijay told a press conference here that the US administration has made no attempts "to
allay our genuine fears that these funds are often siphoned off for anti-India activities by terror groups."

Instead of reassuring India that this would not happen, he said the highly disturbing news is that Washington is keen to ink a civil nuclear deal similar to the one signed with India.

"It is, therefore, imperative for India, surrounded by two hostile nuclear powers, to demand that US must assure India that its billions will not, in any situation whatsoever, fall in the hands of terror groups working against us," the spokesman said.

He pointed out that Pakistan has a history of facilitating terrorist groups using the US dollars as has been widely reported by the American officials as much as that even the US help to fight Afghan Taliban is being diverted to groups inimical to India.

"The neighbour with a nuke and being run by a number of state and non-state players is a potential threat to India's security and regional peace. To strengthen it with billions on any pretext must necessarily raise our levels of concern," Vijay said.

 

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