Pakistan will urge United States President George W Bush [Images], during his forthcoming visit, to allow American investors to establish nuclear power plants in the country, officials said.

According to a Pakistani official, Pakistan will ask for American investors to set up nuclear power plants in 'designated nuclear power parks', with or without the help of local investors.

These parks will operate under full safeguards of International Atomic Energy Agency and any other international body. Pakistan was actively seeking American support and that of other Western countries, including France [Images], for its energy security, Dawn quoted the unnamed official as saying on Tuesday.

• Indo-US nuclear tango

The issue, he said, would be taken up with Bush when he visits Pakistan. The US, sources claimed, was considerate to Pakistan's desire for civilian nuclear cooperation but wants it to satisfy the world's proliferation concerns first.

The US government has been insisting that Islamabad should project its case by taking into account the proliferation concerns of the West.

The sources claimed that IAEA officials had agreed with Pakistan that as the US has decided to help India produce 40,000-MW of nuclear energy by 2040, Washington should also support Pakistan's longer term Energy Security Plan for producing 8800-MW of energy.

Complete coverage: President Bush in India