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Pakistan won't sell N-tech, says foreign minister

Pakistan is a "sensible" country that won't sell its nuclear technology, Foreign Minister Sartaj Aziz said today.

And that's one of the messages Aziz will be delivering to US deputy secretary of state Strobe Talbott when he visits Pakistan later this month or early in February.

"We would never sell our technology... Pakistan is a sensible country that has never shown any irresponsibility in this manner," Aziz told reporters outside Parliament.

The nuclear future of the Asian subcontinent is expected to dominate Talbott's agenda during visits to both Pakistan and India.

This will be Talbott's first visit to Pakistan since it followed India's lead in May and exploded several nuclear devices. Talbott's last visit was an emergency one that he hoped would dissuade Pakistan from conducting underground nuclear devices.

But it failed and both India and Pakistan declared themselves the world's newest nuclear states.

Aziz said Kashmir will figure prominently on the agenda during meetings with Talbott. While Pakistan is seeking international mediation to solve the dispute, India has refused.

Saying that "now is not the time for a nuclear arms race,'' Aziz said Pakistan fears India will begin the race and Islamabad promises it won't be left behind.

Several international nuclear treaties will be on the agenda of the talks, including the global test ban treaty which Islamabad seems set to sign. However it's unlikely Pakistan will sign other treaties like the fissile material ban and nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

Aziz said Pakistan is worried about a recent defence pact signed between India and Russia. He said that he is writing letters to the G-8 western leaders warning that the agreement "will increase tension in the region."

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