ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on Friday it was not bound by prohibitions spelled out in the nuclear ban treaty, which came into effect earlier this month, in a milestone moment for nuclear arms’ abolitionists.

None of the nine nuclear powers have signed the treaty that bars signatories from developing, testing, producing, manufacturing, acquiring, possessing or stockpiling nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices.

“Pakistan does not consider itself bound by any of the obligations enshrined in this Treaty. Pakistan stresses that this Treaty neither forms a part of, nor contributes to the development of customary international law in any manner,” the FO statement said, and added that the treaty had failed to take on board the “legitimate interests of stakeholders.” 

The treaty is the result of the efforts of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) which has stressed upon the catastrophic humanitarian and environmental consequences of nuclear weapons use. ICAN has said the treaty fills a gap in international law.
Eighty-six countries have signed the treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons, whereas 52 have ratified it so far.
But Pakistan said the treaty did not uphold the United Nations General Assembly consensus that the goal of nuclear disarmament would keep in mind the right to security of each state, and added that such an objective could only be achieved through a more universal undertaking that took on board the consensus of all relevant stakeholders.
“It is indispensable for any initiative on nuclear disarmament to take into account the vital security considerations of each and every state,” Pakistan said.
On Thursday, UN Secretary General warned nuclear-armed countries India and Pakistan that any military confrontation between them would be “a disaster of unmitigated proportions” for the world.