Bureau Report
FAISALABAD: Business community must play its proactive role in dragging out Pakistan from the grey list by fully adhering to the non-proliferation treaty and FATF (Financial Action Task Force) conditionality, said Dr. Zafar Ali Director General Strategic Export Control Division (SECDIV).
Addressing an awareness session on “Export Control on Goods, Technologies, Material and Equipments related to Nuclear and Biological Weapons and their Delivery Systems Act, 2004 (V of 2004)” in Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI), he said that Pakistan has been placed in grey list not due to the technical but because of Indian political clout.
Responding to a question about two successive incidents of illegal trade of raw uranium in India, he said that the international community is intentionally ignoring this clear violation of the non-proliferation treaty due to grouping and regrouping by India at the international level. “We had to face complete ban if such an incident had occurred in Pakistan”, he remarked and added that countries siding with India have responded that Indian government is investigating this issue and they would give their response after completion of investigation by India. He said that most of Faisalabad based exporters are not directly involved in manufacturing or export of weapons of Mass Distraction and technologies. However, some products commercially manufactured and used in Pakistan could also be used in the fabrication of prohibited atomic weapons and missile technology including biological weapons. In this connection, he quoted high voltage capacitors and some chemicals used in the ceramic industry. He said that SECDIV has evolved a comprehensive system to regulate import and export of prohibited items for which SECDIV is extending free services. He said that a separate link has been provided on SECDIV website from where items used for dual purposes could be ascertained.
Responding to a question he said that international organizations have clamped a ban on some countries and we could not trade with these countries. “Among these countries also include North Korea and Iran etc. “, he added
Earlier Acting President FCCI Chaudhry Talat Mahmood briefly introduced Faisalabad and FCCI and said that our major export is textile and only few persons could be involved in the import and export of such prohibited items and technologies. He thanked Dr. Zafar Ali for organizing this awareness session in FCCI and said that it will help our exporters to remain vigilant by discouraging import and export of prohibited items.
Awan Arshad Gilani Deputy Director SECDIV gave a comprehensive presentation about the aims and objectives of this organization working under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
A question answer session was also held while Acting President Chaudhry Talat Mahmood presented FCCI memento to Dr. Zafar Ali Director General SECDIV.
Later Vice President Ayub Aslam Manj offered a vote of thanks.
