Pakistan has said it will not sign the "discriminatory" nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry said as he held talks with US officials here on security, strategic stability and non-proliferation issues.
"It is a discriminatory treaty. Pakistan has the right to defend itself, so Pakistan will not sign the NPT," he said.
Already, 190 states have signed the treaty, which came into force in 1970. But South Asia's both nuclear states, India and Pakistan, have stayed out of it.
Pakistan's categorical refusal to sign the treaty goes against the US desire to promote NPT's compliance. But US officials have avoided criticising in public Pakistan's position on this and other issues.
Chaudhry, when asked to underline the steps Pakistan had taken to protect its nuclear assets, said, "We have established a multi-layer system and a strong command and control system".
He assured the international community that Pakistan would maintain a "credible minimum deterrence, but it is not in an arms race with anyone".
Chaudhry pointed out that for some time India had been working on a massive build-up of conventional weapons.
"Pakistan is not asking for a parity with India but we do want a system of check and balance. Such a balance is necessary to promote peace," Dawn newspaper quoted Chaudhry as saying.
"Pakistan believes in the concept of comprehensive strategic stability, which includes conventional weapons balance, nuclear restraint, resolution of the outstanding issues," he said.
Chaudhry said that Pakistan had proved its ability to fully protect its nuclear assets by not allowing the current wave of terrorism to reach anywhere near a nuclear facility.
"The measures we have taken, no other country has and it is recognised by other countries too. We have fulfilled our responsibility. There is zero tolerance for such activities."
The foreign secretary said that Pakistan also had a right to the civil nuclear cooperation arrangement that the US had with India.
"Our energy needs are more acute. Our power generation met international standards. All our facilities are under IAEA safeguards. And so we have a right to have access to civil nuclear technology," he said.
The foreign secretary rejected a suggestion that IS and other militant groups could seize Pakistan's nuclear weapons.
