Lead speaker Gilani demands N-deal for Pak

Washington: Addressing the 46 heads of state participating at the nuclear security summit, Pakistan made a case for access to civilian nuclear technology on Monday.

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani was one of the lead speakers at the inaugural dinner hosted by President Barrack Obama and he used the platform to make a case for a civilian nuclear deal with the US. Gilani said nuclear power generation was crucial for Pakistan to meet its growing requirement for energy.

"For Pakistan, civil nuclear power generation is an essential part of the national energy security strategy, to help meet our energy needs for social and economic development. We have more than 35 years of experience of operating nuclear power plants. Pakistan has highly trained manpower and a well established safety and security culture. Pakistan qualifies for participation in civil nu8clear cooperation at the international level. We urge all relevant forums to give Pakistan access to nuclear technology for peaceful uses, in a non discriminatory manner," Gilani said.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will address the meet today.