In a letter to the IAEA Board of Governors, Pakistan cited a ‘dangerous and discriminatory exemption’ for India in the safeguards agreement draft that tacitly accepted its status as a nuclear weapons state.

Here’s the full text of the communication —

PAKISTAN MISSION TO THE IAEA

Vienna

15 July 2008

Excellency,

1. As you may be aware the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has recently circulated the draft text of a proposed Safeguards Agreement between India and the IAEA.

2. The Agreement is to be considered by the IAEA Board of Governors (BOG) and subsequently by the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). Evidently efforts are being made to rush through the agreement through the IAEA-BOG and the NSG.

3. In this regard the following points need to be kept in view:-

(i) The Safeguards Agreement was circulated to the BOG on 9 July 2008. Under its rules, it can be considered, at the earliest, 45 days later, i.e., 25 August 2008. Consideration of the Agreement cannot be placed on the Agenda for the BOG meeting scheduled on 01 August 2008.

(ii) There are no good technical or substantive reasons for the BOG to waive the 45 days rule. The political exigencies of either India or the U.S. are not sufficient reason for the BOG to waive the 45 days rule which is designed to enable BOG members to carefully examine the content and implications of any Agreement so as to ensure that it serves the purpose of credible verification of non-diversion for which it is being concluded.

... contd.