Washington, July 30
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has demanded from the US a nuclear deal similar to the one Washington has made with India, assuring that the nuclear proliferation network of its scientist A. Q. Khan was broken and will not be repeated.

“There should be no preferential, there should be no discrimination. And if they want to give civilian nuclear status to India, we would also expect the same for Pakistan too,” Gilani said at a gathering here under the aegis of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Middle East Institute.

Pressed on the illegal network run by Khan, father of Pakistan’s atomic programme, who had peddled nuclear material and technology to countries like Iran, North Korea and Libya, the leader maintained that the A. Q. Khan saga was over.

“Certainly it cannot happen again and that chapter is over. The network is broken,” Gilani, who arrived on Sunday on a three-day visit, said.

He said that the new civilian government in Islamabad wanted to have good relations with India, was working for enhancing bilateral trade and would like to resolve all issues including the “core issue” of Kashmir.

On Kashmir, Gilani said “they (United States) should encourage and support this issue. That means only they can understand”, but refrained from asking Washington to play the role of a mediator.

However, when pressed by President of Council on Foreign Relations, Richard Haass on whether Washington should appoint a special envoy or play a high visibility or mediatory role, Gilani quipped,” Actually what the United States really want, they can do it”. — Agencies