On Friday, Pakistan said that it does not consider itself bound by any ofthe obligations enshrined in the Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weaponslink.

In a statement issued on Friday, Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid HafeezChaudhri stressed that this treaty neither forms a part of, nor contributesto development of customary international law in any manner.

The spokesperson said the Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weaponslink, which was adopted in July2017, was negotiated outside the established UN disarmament negotiatingforums. None of the nuclear armed states, including Pakistan, took part inthe negotiations of the treaty which failed to take on board the legitimateinterests of all stakeholders.

Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said it is indispensable for any initiative onnuclear disarmament to take into account the vital security considerationsof each and every state.

He said many non-nuclear armed states have also refrained from becomingparties to the treaty.