By Mike Nartker
Global Security Newswire

WASHINGTON — Following a similar move by South Asian rival India, Pakistan has decided to not participate in a proposed international code of conduct to halt ballistic missile proliferation, a Pakistani Embassy spokesman told Global Security Newswire yesterday (see GSN, Nov. 8).

Pakistan has decided “not to subscribe” to the International Code of Conduct against the Proliferation of Ballistic Missiles, spokesman Asad Hayauddin said yesterday in a written statement.  The code “does not reflect an equitable approach on missiles” and “does not take into account” Pakistan’s concerns, he said.

In part, Pakistan has rejected the code because it does not deal with the issue of complimentary delivery platforms such as cruise missiles and sophisticated military aircraft, Hayauddin said.  India is either developing such systems or importing them from members of the European Union, he said.

There are also Pakistani concerns related to the code drafting process, Hayauddin said.  Negotiators constructed the agreement through a short series of meetings that did not take into account the position of Pakistan or of several other countries, he said.  Missile proliferation would be better addressed through the U.N. Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, he added.

Concerns about Pakistan’s missile proliferation activities have recently increased following a Washington Post report alleging that Pakistan provided nuclear weapons assistance to North Korea in exchange for missile components (see GSN, Nov. 13).  Following India and China, Pakistan is the third country of possible proliferation concern to abandon the code in the last two weeks (see GSN, Nov. 14).  Supporters of the agreement plan to sign it Monday in a ceremony at The Hague.

Although Pakistan has decided against joining the code, it supports the agreement’s objectives and remains opposed to missile proliferation, Hayauddin said.  Pakistan’s commitment to opposing exports of sensitive missile technologies goes beyond that of members of the Missile Technology Control Regime, and Pakistan regularly notifies its neighbors of its missile tests, he said.

“Pakistan is a responsible missile power” and it is “against missile proliferation,” Hayauddin said.

For further information, see:

Draft International Code of Conduct (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute)

Missile Technology Control Regime (U.S. State Department)

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