Pakistan Monday said it could discuss the peaceful use of nuclear energy with Bangladesh, which is facing severe energy deficit, reports UNB.
"We''ve our program of nuclear energy. We''re going ahead with that. It'' s up to Bangladesh to decide how they want," Pakistan High Commissioner Alamgir Babar told members of the Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) at the National Press Club.
The High Commissioner said he has learnt from newspaper reports that there are some discussions taking place between Bangladesh and China.
Asked if Islamabad will extend cooperation to Dhaka in the nuclear energy sector, he said: "We can discuss it within the confines of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)."
Bangladesh is a signatory to the NPT and recently International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) allowed the country to use nuclear energy in peaceful purposes like energy, agriculture and medicine sectors.
Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury discussed the matter with Russia, South Korea and China during his visit to those countries.
The High Commissioner said Pakistan is not a signatory to the NPT but "I''ve the right to peaceful uses of nuclear energy."
In reply to a question, he said Bangladesh and Pakistan have "robust" defence cooperation in training military personnel of the two countries. He said Pakistan also exports military hardware to Bangladesh, but he could not say the volume of it.
During the hour-long DCAB Talk, the envoy responded to volleys of questions on bilateral and regional issues.
Responding to a question, Babar said Bangladesh and Pakistan could learn from each other in different areas, not to speak only about establishment of an elected government in Islamabad.
He said Pakistan wishes good for Bangladesh and its people who would decide their future.
Asked about the Bangladesh Chief of Army Staff''s visit to Pakistan after his visit to India, Babar said Islamabad has given him the invitation and the date for the visit would be fixed at a mutually convenient time.
Asked about the reason behind the insignificant volume of the two-way trade, he said there are two difficulties - one is awareness among the businessmen about what the two countries can offer, and secondly, absence of direct Shipping Services.
Current bilateral trade is around $340 million annually.
To another question, he said Bangladesh-Pakistan bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) could be a supplement to SAFTA. Pakistan and Sri Lanka are enjoying benefit of such FTA, he informed.
On the long-running issues of repatriation of the stranded Pakistanis and apportionment of the pre-independence assets, the High Commissioner said Pakistan met its legal obligation under the 1974 agreement regarding the repatriation. Those who had fulfilled the set criteria were already relocated.
Still, he said, Pakistan is looking at the humanitarian aspect of the issue. He also mentioned the Sunday''s High Court judgment that gave voting rights to the stranded Pakistanis in Bangladesh.
Babar also mentioned a survey conducted by an international agency showing that most of the stranded Pakistanis are not willing to go back to Pakistan.
About apportionment of the assets, he said the matter is very complicated as to where to start and where to finish off. The matter comes for discussion at bilateral meetings.
To a question, he said about 2-3 million people of Bangladesh origin are now living in Pakistan.
Asked what factors impede the closer relations, the envoy said it is not distance of the minds of the two people as he said there is strong feeling in Pakistan about Bangladesh.
He noted that the missing link is distance, as airfare is so high that people of the two countries cannot afford to travel frequently.
About effective implementation of SAFTA, Babar agreed on the slow implementation of the umbrella trade accord saying that it needs political will to move ahead with it.
Asked about terrorism in the region, he said SAARC member states have signed SAARC Convention on Terrorism and also an Additional Protocol to combat the menace. Besides, there are bilateral discussions with neighbours and others, because terrorism is not a local issue, it is a global security threat. International community as a whole should work together on it.
In Pakistan, he said the government is addressing the issue on security dimension and political dimension.
The government, he said, is trying to engage the more moderates in a dialogue to get them to agree and accept that this is not the way forward. "We are also looking at economic development as well as international environment."
In his opening remarks, the High Commissioner mentioned his country''s contribution to the education and health sectors in Bangladesh where Tk 25 million were spent since 2005.
He said Pakistan has a special quota of 75 fully funded scholarships for Bangladeshi students, which was increased to 100 this year in the fields of engineering, medicine, IT, veterinary, science, pharmacy, agriculture science and other disciplines.
Babar also mentioned Pakistan''s efforts towards promotion of the SME Women sector in Bangladesh. He said a delegation of about 40 Bangladeshi women entrepreneurs will leave for Karachi next month.
DCAB president Masud Karim chaired the talks and general secretary Raheed Ijaz made welcome remarks.
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