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Hameed Gul opposed to CTBT signing

RECORDER REPORT

LAHORE: Former ISI chief, Lt. Gen. Hameed Gul (Retd) has said that Pakistan should not sign Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).

He was addressing the members of the Lahore High Court Bar Association here on Wednesday.

On this occasion a nuclear scientist, Dr. Bashir-ud-din Sultan, working with the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission observed that even for the purpose of peaceful use of nuclear energy, atomic tests are a must; but added that after singing the CTBT such tests would not be possible. He contended that by singing the CTBT we would not be able to produce nuclear energy and hence it would affect our economic progress.

Gen. Hameed Gul was of the view that as the present government was not representative of the people of Pakistan so it could not take such decisions.

He said if we now sign the CTBT we will deprive our future generations of using nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

He said that at this stage our institutions are not so strong and hence only atomic power is the symbol of dignity for the nation and a guarantee of our security. Hameed Gul stated that in future we could only develop with the help of atomic energy. He averred that some powers wanted to damage the image of the military and were forcing the present government to sign CTBT but cautioned the present rulers not to take such steps. He said we should not make the issue conditional on India's signing the treaty first.

He claimed that the CTBT signing would neither imply foreign aid nor would our loans be written off. He appealed to the lawyers community to support his stance and pass a resolution against singing the CTBT.

One of the lawyers tabled a resolution against the issue and the same was passed unanimously.