India offered to give nuclear technology to Pakistan: WikiLeaks

WikiLeaks has revealed that India had offered to share nuclear technology with Pakistan after the 1974 Pokhran nuclear test.

Zeenews Bureau

New Delhi: WikiLeaks has revealed that India had offered to share nuclear technology with Pakistan after the 1974 Pokhran nuclear test.

According to WikiLeaks and as reported by a leading English daily, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi informed Parliament after the July 22 tests that she had apprised her Pakistani counterpart Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto of New Delhi’s willingness to share the relevant technology.

A US Embassy cable quoted Gandhi as saying, "I have explained in my letter to Prime Minister Bhutto the peaceful nature and the economic purposes of this experiment and have also stated that India is willing to share her nuclear technology with Pakistan in the same way she is willing to share it with other countries, provided proper conditions for understanding and trust are created. I once again repeat this assurance."

Gandhi had made the offer as Pakistan was unwilling to buy the Indian assurance that the nuke test was not aimed at anybody.

But, India could not transfer the technology as the country was slapped with international sanctions that included ban on technology transfer.

In reaction to this, Gandhi had said: "It was emphasized that activities in the field of peaceful nuclear explosion are essentially research and development programmes. Against this background, the government of India fails to understand why India is being criticized on the ground that the technology necessary for the peaceful nuclear explosion is no different from that necessary for weapons programme. No technology is evil in itself: it is the use that nations make of technology which determines its character. India does not accept the principle of apartheid in any matter and technology is no exception."

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