& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

THE NBOMB ISSUE

Pakistan Launches Diplomatic Offensive against Suspicion

Mariana Baabar writes from Islamabad
***It was perhaps for the first time that president Ghulam Ishaq and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif declined to meet with a visiting American Senator, a move which saw hectic diplomatic activity at State Department.
=Pakistan this week launched a dlpkimatlc offensive with Its Chief of Army Staff In Washington trying to persuade Stale t>cp artment and Pentagon that Pakistan did not possess a nuclear bomb, and that there was genuine need lor military spare parts and F 16 s
Mean white. tn Parts Prime Minister Nawas Sharif was trying to woo the Mitterrand Government to extract com pensatlon for a promised nu clear reprocessing plant a deal from which the French under American pressure had backed out.
Accompanied by hie Air Chief. Mr Sharif was also carry Ing a sliopping list and high on priority were submarines, radars mine sweepers and the controversial Mirage 2000.
In the background is a heated debate all over Pakistan where voices arc being raised demanding from the Sharif Government that there lias to be serious rethinking where the country's foreign policy was concerned
A strong ally of the US. Pakistan is feeling the pinch because tlie Bush Adminis tea tion cannot certify to Senate that Pakistan does not have a nuclear device: all economic and military aid from the US has ceased
Together with this are changes In the region specially. changing realities in Afghanistan and the emergence of the Central Asian republics which are still sub pl clous about a fundamentalist Pakistan
The so called Indo Jewish lobby has also not helped mat ters and the recent example was the outburst of American Senator Larry Pressler who during press confences both al New Delhi and Islamabad accused Pakistan of possessing a nuclear device, identifying Pakistan with fundamentalism and carrying on terrorist aetlv itles inside Indian occupied Kashmir and Indian Punjab
It was perhaps for the first time that President Ghulam Ishaq and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif declined to meet with a vialttng American Senator, a move which saw hectic diplomatic activity at State Department
The Americans Issued statements assuring the Pakistan Government that Senator Pressler was speaking tn Ida personal capacity and In no way articulating tlie gover nment view meanwhile.
Mr Sharif rebutted accuse Hons that Pakistan was a fundamentalist state asserting that, "| don I know what fundamentalism Is. cither you are a Muslim or you are not one". At I lie end of Gen Asif s and Mr Sharifs visits to Washi ng ton and Paris, analysts In Islamabad are now busy reviewing the Government's efforts to slop Pakistan from being Isolated from the International powers which still Influence south east Asia
General Asif Nawaz tame home to a low key arrival, a far cry from his predecessor Gen Mirza Beg. who was fond of publicity and Issuing political statements
A couple of days before he came home Gen Asifs meetings with top American off! rials appeared to have borne fnilt
Ilie CIA chief Robert M Gales while testifying to Senate had declared Pakistan free from possessing device thus enabling the Pakistan military to get an assurance from l lie Bush Government that Pakistan was free to pur-cliase spare parts for its armed forces from the US market and the US ban since Oct 90 did not apply to commercial transactions.
Also as an extra bonus for traders In Pakistan was when during Gen Asifs visit the US allowed an Increase In the apparel and 19 per cent In the non-apparel categories
Meanwhile. In Parts. Mr Nawaz Sharifs success more llum anything elae was the meeting of minds between Mr Sharif and President Mitterrand. In questions of vital International Importance
After Great Britain from which Pakistan has received great support on Its stand on Kashmir. the Paris visit saw a specific expression of support for Pakistan's stand on Kashmir and Its proposal for a nuclear non proliferation conference in south Asia.
Mr Sharifs visit came at a time when there had yet been no definite response from State Department regarding sale of military equipment
France, a major arms supplier in the world market agreed to sell Pakistan three submarines, three radars, three minesweepers and 40 Mirage 2000
The Mirages have created a - a lobby which tE. that there* French are W
The whole package la u-peeled to coot over two btlhon doliara and the coining rereton of parliament would ree a heated debate of the country a priorities which foresees ambit ttouo plans in the social recto^ being scrapped with military
However, the US influence was still evident in Paris where specially after the lessons of 11k Gulf war the French Mill, remain reluctant to supply a 900 megawatt nuclear reactor since Pakistan has not signed the NPT
However Mr Sharif man-aged »130 millton as compensation
For Pakistan this week the' larger issues were all linked with its nuclear policy which It strongly defends a peaceful one being developed for en er©, purposes
Since the dismissal of the Bhutto Government nearly two years ago It is the President Mr Ghulam Ishaq Khan, who la personally monitoring It
So far despite extreme pressure from domestic and foreign lobbies he has refused to compromise on Pakistan's nuclear policy
In the paat a heavy price was paid for an independent nuclear policy It cost Zulfiqar AH Bhutto his life