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Beg opposes CTBT signing

IQBAL KHATTAK

PESHAWAR: Pakistan Awami Qiadat Party chief and former COAS Gen. Mirza Aslam Beg (Retd) warned on Saturday that signing of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) would render the country's defence vulnerable.

"I oppose it because nuclear deterrence has a vital role to play in Pakistan's defence. Secondly, an un-elected government has no right to sign the CTBT. Let an elected government comes and takes a unanimous decision in this regard," Beg told journalists at a press conference.

He said Pakistan should not sign the treaty in haste. "We must not ignore our defence needs," Beg stressed, adding that India was speaking its mind to build more and more nuclear weapons.

She expressed her desire to make 400 nuclear bombs. India is also emerging as a nuclear state," Beg said. He added that by signing the CTBT Kashmir cause would be hit hard.

Hoping that at the end of next year an elected government would be at place. He said present rulers should let the Parliament to decide the CTBT fate.

Beg also questioned the wisdom behind initiating plane "conspiracy" case against deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif. "It may be (Chief Executive) Gen. Pervez Musharraf's personal problem, but not all the country's."

Appointing a serving general as chief of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) the government made the Ehtesab process controversial. "It gives an impression of partiality," he went on to say.