"If any exception is made to India, it should also be extended to Pakistan," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tasneem Aslam said at a press briefing in Islamabad.

She was referring to a possibility of signing of a deal between India and France [Images] for cooperation in civilian nuclear programme during French President Jaque Chirac's ongoing visit to New Delhi.

She said both Pakistan and India are nuclear weapons states and deserved to be treated equally. "We do expect that a cooperation extended to India by any country or arrangement under any multilateral agency such as the Nuclear Suppliers' Group should also be available to Pakistan," Ms Aslam added.

Pakistan, which has stringent nuclear export control regime, will be willing to accept full scope safeguards by the International Atomic Energy Agency if cooperation is extended to it in the civilian nuclear programme area, she added.

Pakistani government had, in December 2005 notified the control lists of goods, technologies, materials and equipment related to nuclear and biological weapons and their delivery systems, which will be subject to strict export controls.

The control lists adopted by Pakistan encompassed the lists and scope of export controls maintained by the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the Australia Group, which relates to biological agents and toxins, and the missile technology control regime.

Also in December 2005, Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had inaugurated the concrete pouring of the country's third nuclear power plant, in southwest of the national capital.

Known as the Chashma Nuclear Power Plant, it has the capacity to generate 300 MW of electricity.