ISLAMABAD: After the government’s prolonged silence over
India’s admission to Wassenaar Arrangement, a global export control
regime, murmurings against its inclusion have started on the federal
capital’s influential seminar circuit.
Addressing one
such seminar, hosted by the Strategic Vision Institute (SVI), a think
tank specialising in non-proliferation issues, a speaker warned that
India’s acceptance into export control regimes would embolden it to
attain its hegemonic designs in the region.
India was
last week admitted to the Wassenaar Arrangement as its 42nd member. Its
inclusion in the group would not only strengthen its credentials for
membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), but would also enhance
its access to critical technologies.
Much like NSG,
where Indian application is being held up because of Chinese insistence
on following criteria-based approach, signing Nuclear Non-proliferation
Treaty (NPT) was also a requirement for Wassenaar Arrangement, but was
ignored because of the US backing.
