Pakistan does not consider itself a party to the UN Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapon, adopted by a number of countries on July 7, and therefore is not bound by its provisions, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said Monday.

On July 7, 122 UN member states adopted a treaty to categorically prohibit nuclear weapons.

However, over 40 countries, including Pakistan and other global nuclear powers, such as China, France, India, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, boycotted the entire process.

According the Pakistani Foreign Ministry’s statement, Islamabad is committed to nuclear disarmament “through the conclusion of a universal, verifiable and non-discriminatory, comprehensive convention,” which would take into account vital security considerations of every country.

The Foreign Ministry also stressed that such convention should result in “equal and undiminished, if not increased security” of all countries participating in the negotiations process.

“The Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, adopted by a vote on July 7, in New York, did not fulfill these essential conditions – both in terms of process and substance.

“Treaties that do not fully take on board the interests of all stakeholders fail to achieve their objectives.

“Pakistan, therefore, like all the other nuclear armed states, did not take part in its negotiation and cannot become a party to this Treaty,” the Foreign Ministry said in the statement.

The ministry added that Pakistan did not consider the treaty as a part of customary international law.

On July 18, India, which also possesses nuclear weapons and has stayed away from the negotiations on the treaty, made a similar statement.

The negotiations on the treaty have been carried out amid increased tensions on the Korean Peninsula, as North Korea intensified its ballistic missile launches and advanced its nuclear programme.

However, on July 7, after the majority the UN members voted for a drafted version of the treaty, the U.S., France and the UK issued a joint statement, saying that the treaty would not contribute to resolving the North Korea issue and would make it impossible to enforce a nuclear deterrence policy.

The treaty will be opened for signing on Sept. 20, and will come into effect after being ratified by at least 50 states.

(Source: Sputnik/NAN)