Welcome Remarks
Ambassador Masood Khan
Director General, Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad
The Strategic Export Control Division (SECDIV) is an oversight board at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs established in 2007, and I was also inducted as executive member in September 2015. The SECDIV is headed by Director General, Mr. Zafar Ali, who is with us here. In order to raise the awareness on export controls, we need to increase the scope of our outreach to related agencies. Today’s event is in due diligence on Pakistan’s efforts on export controls and this Seminar would cover:
- Awareness Raising
- Building confidence in Pakistan’s nuclear programme
- Demonstrating how Pakistan has been a responsible nuclear state
- Building synergies amongst different departments and agencies
As we all know, Pakistan is a legitimate nuclear weapon state. It never signed NPT and it opted the course of rising from a peculiar situation in South Asia after India tested nuclear weapons in 1974. In the context of export controls, Pakistan crossed five thresholds:
- To acquire nuclear capability
- Testing Ballistic and Cruise Missiles
- From 1999-2004 Pakistan established a Command and Control System
- Passed Export Control Act of 2004
- Revised nuclear lists
These measures conform to international standards. The SECDIV has updated these lists. These revised lists cover the scope of Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and the Australia Group (AG). Pakistan, therefore, fully qualifies to become the member of the NSG.
