Pakistan feels heat from nuclear powers over talks block

Pakistan came under severe pressure from the major nuclear powers on Thursday to end its defiance of 64 other countries in blocking international disarmament talks.
Despite warnings that the blockage could discredit the world's principal disarmament forum, Pakistan's ambassador Zamir Akram held firm against an unusual joint offensive by Britain, China, Russia and the United States.
Citing unspecified national security concerns, Pakistan has been alone in stalling since the 65 states took a landmark decision in May to break more than a decade of deadlock in the Conference on Disarmament (CD) by agreeing on a work plan for 2009.