ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office has rejected British media reports linking a package containing Uranium, which arrived in the UK and originated from Pakistan.
In a statement, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said, “no information to this effect has been shared with Pakistan by British authorities”. She called reports ‘not factual’, claiming that government is confident about the assumptions shared by international media.
The government reacted amid a sense of fear that the uranium package seized in Britain last month might affect Pakistan’s reputation at the world level.
Reports in Pakistani media suggest that Oman Airlines’ flight departed for London on December 29, contained frozen meat and garments, clarifying that no metal was booked on the commercial flight.
British publication The Sun first reported that Uranium was embedded into metal bars in a package that reached the UK on December 29 via a commercial flight of Oman Air.
Probe underway
Amid the reports, the UK border force told the media that a package with a minimal amount of radioactive material was identified. At the same time, counterterrorism officials have already started the probe.
Following the fear, the UK PM office told a foreign publication that ‘there is no threat to public safety’. It refused to delve into details amid live investigations but mentioned that it does not threaten the public.
British tabloid, which breaks the story, reported that the seized package was “destined for Iranian nationals in the UK, saying an element of cargo was identified that was emitting a radioactive signal.”
As the probe has been underway for around two weeks after the Uranium was found, no citizen has been detained till the filing of this story.
Uranium exposition and damages
As Islamabad issued a clarification, experts claimed that if Pakistan were found guilty, it would create circumstances for gross negligence as many countries hold strict rules to deal with such failure.
The radioactive chemical element is mainly used as fuel for nuclear power reactors, submarines, power plants and weapons. It needs proper handling to keep as its exposure can cause non-malignant respiratory disease and nephrotoxicity.
Pakistan deeply concerned over illicit Uranium sales in India
