Pakistan committed to keeping chemical, biological weapons safe

UNITED NATIONS: Permanent representative of Pakistan to the United Nations in Geneva Ambassador Farukh Amil said that Pakistan had taken steps to prevent non-state actors from gaining access to chemical and biological weapons, adding that Pakistan shared in the international community’s conviction of keeping such arms from falling into the wrong hands.

“We have taken a series of measures to counter this risk,” Ambassador Amil told the General Assembly’s Disarmament and International Security Committee.

He said that in this regard Pakistan supported Russia’s proposal, in the conference on disarmament, that an international convention for the suppression of acts of chemical and biological terrorism should be elaborated.

He said that the conventions on biological and chemical weapons were two important pillars of the international security architecture. Both had made significant contributions to the goal of general and complete disarmament by prohibiting two entire categories of weapons of mass destruction.

Participating in the ensuing debate on weapons of mass destruction, the ambassador said that Pakistan condemns the use of chemical weapons by anyone, anywhere. “Those responsible for such deplorable acts must be identified and held accountable.”

He said that Pakistan had prioritized the universalisation of the convention on biological weapons and the implementation of all its articles. However, the most sustainable method of implementing the convention was through multilateral negotiations aimed at concluding a legally binding protocol for all countries.

He added that Pakistan was also fully committed to the convention on chemical weapons and continued to participate in the workings of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

He said that Pakistan also attached high priority to conventions on international cooperation and assistance and on the peaceful uses of chemical technology.