ISLAMABAD, 27 April 2007 — Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said yesterday that his government wanted peace in South Asia but would never compromise on its nuclear program.
Speaking at a function marking the induction of the Hatf-III Ghaznavi Missiles into the army, Aziz said Pakistan was committed to achieving a credible minimum deterrence and reiterated that there would never be a compromise on Pakistan’s strategic program.
“As a fully established and internationally accepted nuclear power, we should have confidence in our capabilities commensurate with our status that no one in the world can cast an evil eye on our nuclear capability or on our sovereignty,” he said.
Aziz also highlighted Pakistan’s needs in the nuclear energy sector.
He said his government had approved an ambitious nuclear power program for generating 8,800 mw of electricity by 2030.
The prime minister said Pakistan had no aggressive designs against any country.
