KARACHI - The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Yukiya Amano has said Pakistan is completely implementing IAEA guidelines and ensuring nuclear safety and security standards.
He said this while addressing a seminar here on Wednesday at a hotel, jointly organised by the Centre for International Strategic Studies (CISS) and the Pakistan Institute of International Affairs (PIIA).
Yukiya Amano said that the IAEA appreciates Pakistan’s efforts. He said that 18 hospitals in Pakistan are carrying out treatment of cancer related diseases and it needs to be further extended to the rural areas of the country.
The DG IAEA said that he had visited the Karachi Nuclear Power Plant K-3 and K-4 projects and the advanced technology used their was impressive.
PIIA Chairperson Dr Masooma Hassan, Director General Security Division of CISS Dr Zafer Ali, Executive Director CISS Ali Serwar Naqvi and PNIRA Chairman Jamsheed Hashmi also spoke on the occasion.
Amano said “I am very impressed to see that Pakistan has taken all possible nuclear safety and security measures and has most advanced safety features reactors”.
Amano said Pakistan had a long history of cooperation with the IAEA, starting with the inception of the agency itself in 1957. Pakistan’s cooperation with the agency has been reciprocal, wherein the international agency has also greatly benefitted from Pakistan’s nuclear expertise and its human resources.
He further said that Pakistan had been a beneficiary of the IAEA assistance and its government was fully committed to enhance this collaboration with the agency in diverse fields ranging from nuclear power development to that of human health, agriculture and livestock.
He said Pakistan has conceptualized and developed an intensive programme for peaceful uses of nuclear energy, which offers great opportunities. Pakistan is fully committed to IAEA’s objectives. Its civil nuclear cycle is under safeguards and its nuclear safety and security regime is par excellence.
“I am very impressed to see that Pakistan has taken all possible nuclear safety and security measures,” he said and added that these reactors have most advanced safety features.
He also appreciated that Pakistan was enhancing crop yield in the field of agriculture.
DG IAEA mentioned that Pakistan and IAEA have mutually beneficial and wide ranging cooperation.
Dr Zafar Ali, Director General Security Division, Foreign Ministry said that Pakistan was all set to be a full member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group and contribute towards achieving sustainable development goals worldwide. Pakistan had offered to share its experience and expertise with other countries in the area of peaceful uses of nuclear technology, nuclear safety and security, non- proliferation and export controls.
Dr Naeem Salik gave a brief overview of the historical evolution of Pakistan’s nuclear programme and highlighted the fact that it started as a purely peaceful nuclear programme with applications in medicine, agriculture and energy. Pakistan had an extensive peaceful nuclear programme in a very active, productive and mutually beneficial partnership with the IAEA.
Syed Muhammad Ali, Senior Research Fellow, CISS mentioned that Pakistan, like the developed nations, must explore and pursue sustainable, clean and cost effective solution to energy challenges. Nuclear energy offers a useful, long term, environment friendly and cost-effective solution to growing national energy needs.
The seminar was attended by participants hailing from different walks of life including serving and retired diplomats, senior military officers, scientists, academics, scholars, media persons and university students.
