In a stunning reversal of its stand, Pakistan has stalled the start of negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty despite having given its consent three months ago to a hard fought consensus decision. This has raised concerns over Islamabad’s intentions, which has cited “national security interests” for this sudden change.

On May 29, Pakistan Representative at the Conference of Disarmament (CD) in Geneva Zamir Akram had said that Pakistan had “joined the consensus” because it “reflects a compromise and enables us to break the impasse in the conference”.

But when the CD met in the first week of August, Akram informed the Conference President that he was awaiting fresh instructions from his government. On August 10, Caroline Millar from Australia, the Conference President, revealed that the Pakistan representative had informed her that his government wanted the text of the decision to be “reopened”.

She, in fact, is said to have told the conference that she was slightly at a loss to explain what had happened because some of the things Pakistan was asking to be reopened were issues she thought had been worked out with all delegations through “extensive consultations”. She was concerned that the “delicate compromises put in place would be placed in jeopardy”.

Pakistan is now the only country standing in the way of negotiations. Coming under severe criticism from other countries, Akram is said to have described the development as “unfortunate” but made it clear that everyone had to work “on behalf of their own national security interests”.

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