Multan: International Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has started inspecting the Pak-Arab fertilizer Company.
The inspection will continue from the 24th of July to the 28th of July. The international experts will be examining all the plants, stocks, godowns , and records of the company.
It is mandatory for the administration of the company to satisfy the experts regarding the usage of the chemicals being manufactured in the company.
The inspection is taking place after allegations that the chemicals being used to manufacture fertilizers were also being used in making bombs. These allegations were made by India and U.S.
According to sources the U.S first leveled the allegations in the first week of July after which the exports of urea to Afghanistan were banned by the Federal Interior minister Abdul Rehman Malik. He also held a meeting with the American Minister in this regard which he termed as strategic Dialogue. India too is leveling allegations in this regard that Pakistan was manufacturing chemical and biological weapons.
India alleges that Pakistan imports a large quantity of Arsenic and Phosphorous Compound but its civilian use is not apparent which means Pakistan is using then in weapons.
The Pakistan Foreign Office is trying to play cool ion the incident by terming the inspection as a routine one.
But according to sources Pakistan had to allow inspection eight times since 1998 on the complaints by U,.S and India.
The first inspection was made on the 19th of February 1989 in which the inspectors had examined the Wah factory. Since May 20003, regular inspection has begun.
According to the agreement, it is not imperative on the member state to allow inspection every year. But if a member state files a complaint against a country than threat country must allow inspection. The present inspection is of the same nature.
According to a source of Foreign Office, the then Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif had dispatched Javed Hashmi to sign the pact of Chemical Weapon Convention without consulting the party and parliament. As a member Pakistan must allow inspection of any area which a member states points out to be suspicious.
So far nine such plants have been inspected and this number is likely to increase in the future.
According to sources a high ranking foreign diplomat has pointed out that the real reason behind this inspection is not whether Pakistan is manufacturing chemical weapons but it is to prepare a case against it like the one was prepared against Iraq in the U.N. according to that diplomatic source the next target of U.S is Pakistan. The arrest of Dr Fai, allegations of spying in U.S against the intelligence agency making chemical weapons and the international inspection are all part of the same link and the U.S may be paving the way for an Indian attack on Pakistan.
The source cautioned that in future there may be more allegations and inspections.
Pakistan is responsible for this as it signed the CWE when there was no need for it.
