At UN, Pakistan's draft seeking security assurances for non-nuclear states passed with big majority.

The United Nations General Assembly's main committee has adopted, by an overwhelming majority, a Pakistan-sponsored resolution under which the 193-member Assembly would reaffirm the urgent need to reach an early agreement on effective international arrangements to assure non-'nuclear'-weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons.

The resolution, entitled: "Conclusion of effective international arrangements to assure non-'nuclear'-weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons was voted in the Assembly's First Committee, which deals with disarmament and international security matters.

It received 118 in favour to none against, with 63 abstentions.

A majority of states belonging to the Non-aligned Movement as well as China and Japan voted in favour of the text, while the US and European States as well asIndia abstained.

By its terms, the Assembly would reaffirm the urgent need to reach an early agreement on effective international arrangements to assure non-'nuclear'-weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons.

Noting with satisfaction that there is no objection in principle in the Conference on Disarmament to the idea of an international convention on the topic, the resolution would appeal to all States, especially nuclear-'weapon'-States, to work actively towards early agreement on a common approach leading to a legally binding international instrument.

It would come up for formal endorsement of the General Assembly next month.

During the proceedings, Pakistan abstained on two India-sponsored resolutions on disarmament-related matters that it had previously supported, saying there was a yawning gap between the practices and declaratory policies of the sponsor.

Explaining his vote on India's resolution, entitled: "Convention on the Prohibition of the Use of Nuclear Weapons", Jehanzeb Khan, First Secretary in the Pakistan Mission to the UN, said while it claims to promote the norms of non-use of nuclear weapons, the sponsoring country recently issued increasingly frequent threats of nuclear use against his country.

India had also pursued continuous expansion and modernization of conventional and nuclear arsenals, increasing the readiness of its nuclear forces by taking steps such as canisterization of missiles, induction of destabilizing weapon systems as well as force postures and security doctrines which have an...