India prepared for 'no 1st use' pact with Pakistan

NEW DELHI, May 27 Kyodo - India is ready to sign a ''no first use'' agreement with Pakistan on a bilateral basis or with other countries on the use of nuclear weapons, Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee said Wednesday. Speaking at the lower house of parliament, the prime minister again declared that India is a nuclear weapon state, but said it is ready to discuss a pact under which the signatories will not use nuclear weapons against each other. After India's underground nuclear tests May 11 and 13, Pakistan declared it was prepared and determined to ''counter the Indian threat'' and to ''respond appropriately to any provocation.'' Both India and Pakistan have refused to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), preventing the treaty from going into force. Pointing out that India has announced a voluntary halt to nuclear tests, Vajpayee stressed that the nuclear weapons are for self-defense and will not be used for aggression against any country. In a report on India's nuclear policies submitted to parliament the same day, the premier said that India, whose population comprises a sixth of the world's population, is entitled to posses nuclear weapons.