ISLAMABAD (APP) Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Friday urged the world comity to provide Pakistan access to nuclear technology for peaceful uses, in a non-discriminatory manner. In a message on May 28, marking Pakistans entry into the privileged nuclear club, the PM said that civil nuclear power generation was an essential part of the national energy security strategy to help meet countrys energy needs for social and economic development. Gilani mentioned countrys more than 35 years experience of operating nuclear power plants, highly-trained manpower and a well-established safety and security culture and said, Pakistan qualifies for participation in civil nuclear cooperation at the international level. He said that Pakistans nuclear programme was mainly for defensive and peaceful purposes. Pakistan, as a nuclear weapon state, attached highest importance to the security of nuclear materials and facilities and pointed that the democratic government was fully committed to ensuring nuclear security. We have put in place multi-layered mechanisms and processes under National Control and Command Authority. We have done so, first and foremost, in our own national interest and to protect our strategic assets, he added. The Prime Minister said Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto launched the nuclear programme of Pakistan as deterrence, and to harness this technology to accelerate the pace of economic development. He was aware of the challenges posed to the countrys security and future energy needs. Therefore, he built a team of dedicated professionals and mobilised the required economic resources to attain the objective. Gilani added. The precise objective of Pakistans nuclear programme was to establish balance of power in the region and safeguard countrys sovereignty and integrity, the PM concluded.