ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Pakistan has expressed deep concern over the illegal sales of Uranium in India, and demanded a thorough investigation of such incidents.
Responding to media queries about reports of attempted illicit Uranium sales in India, the Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said on Friday that we have seen the reports about yet another incident of attempted illegal sale of six kilograms of Uranium in India.
The Spokesperson said that a similar incident involving seven kilograms of Uranium in the Indian state of Maharashtra last month and other such reports in the past are a matter of deep concern as they point to lax controls, poor regulatory and enforcement mechanisms, as well as the possible existence of a black market for nuclear materials inside India.
Chaudhri said that the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 and the IAEA Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM) make it binding on States to ensure stringent measures to prevent nuclear material from falling into wrong hands.
“Pakistan reiterates its call for a thorough investigation of such incidents and measures for strengthening the security of nuclear materials to prevent their diversion,” the Spokesperson said.
The Foreign Office Spokesperson said that it is equally important to ascertain the intent and ultimate use of the attempted Uranium sale given its relevance to international peace and security as well as the sanctity of the global non-proliferation regime.
