ISLAMABAD, Pakistan on Friday describing the reports of yet another incident of attempted illegal sale of Uranium in India as a “matter of deep concern”, reiterated its call for thorough investigation of such incidents and measures for strengthening the security of nuclear materials to prevent their diversion.
“We have seen the reports about yet another incident of attempted illegal sale of 6 kg of Uranium in India. Similar incident involving 7 kg 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 possible existence of a black market for nuclear materials inside India,” Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri stated while responding to media queries on the subject.
He pointed to the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM) which made it binding on states to ensure stringent measures to prevent nuclear material from falling into wrong hands.
“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 global non-proliferation regime,” the Spokesperson maintained.
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