Pakistani Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar said on November 27 that his country will seek a national consensus on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) before signing it.

During an exclusive interview with Xinhua, Sattar said the Pakistani people are very sensitive to "the issues that concern the future security of Pakistan."

"The Pakistani people look upon the nuclear capability as a guarantee of Pakistan's future security," he added.

"We have been studying the treaty with great care, and we will also try to persuade our people to study and understand it," said Sattar.

He said it is very important that there is no misunderstanding in Pakistan that "signing the CTBT will in any matter expose Pakistan to insecurity."

"That is why we want to discuss and debate the treaty in great depth in our country. Once we achieve that consensus, then we will be ready to take the next step," he said.

He also said Pakistan regards the CTBT as "a good treaty" and voted in favor of it in 1996 at the UN General Assembly.

"We were then willing to sign it, but the only problem was that we noticed India's opposition, and we suspected that India would conduct (nuclear) tests," he said.

Indian Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh is reported to have said during his recent visit to Tokyo that India would sign the CTBT no matter whether Pakistan will sign it or not.

Commenting on this, Sattar said he did not know whether India had made such a decision. "We will welcome if India has made such a decision."

If so, "then there will be no reason for us to delay signing the CTBT," he said.

On the new government's foreign policy, Sattar said that "our foreign policy will be featured by continuity."

"The change of government took place in the context of our internal affairs, and the main policies on foreign affairs remain unaffected," Sattar said.

Sattar, who had been Pakistan's high commissioner to India for two terms, was inducted into the cabinet of Pakistan after the army dismissed the former government led by Nawaz Sharif on October 12.

Touching upon India's response to Pakistan's offer for meaningful bilateral dialogue, the foreign minister regretted that India has so far failed to reciprocate Pakistan's sincerity to promote the dialogue process.

However, he said, "Pakistan will follow a policy of peace and patience."

He stressed that Pakistan wants dialogue with India to solve all outstanding issues between the two neighbors on the basis of international principles and treaties.