IAEA | Pakistan

The Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Wednesday unanimously approved an agreement with Pakistan for the application of safeguards at Unit-5 of the Chashma Nuclear Power Plant, the Foreign Office of Pakistan said.

ISLAMABAD: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) board of governors on Wednesday unanimously approved the agreement between the agency and Pakistan for the application of safeguards at Unit 5 of the Chashma nuclear power plant, according to the Foreign Office. The statement from the FO was shared on the social media platform X by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. “This important development reflects the international community’s continued confidence in Pakistan’s commitment to the peaceful use of nuclear energy and its adherence to global non-proliferation and safeguards obligations,” the FO said. It added that the plant had a gross capacity of 1,200 MW and the pressurised water reactor was expected to become operational by 2030. “Upon completion, the unit will provide a substantial source of low-carbon electricity to Pakistan’s national grid, contributing to energy security, climate goals and sustainable economic growth,” the FO said. It further said that Pakistan currently operat...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) role in the promotion of responsible use of nuclear technology during an official visit to Vienna. According to a handout issued by the Prime Minister’s Office on Tuesday, PM Shehbaz met IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi at the Vienna International Centre. “The prime minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for IAEA’s role in the promotion of responsible use of nuclear technology in areas such as cancer diagnosis and treatment, agriculture, nuclear power generation and industrial applications,” the statement said. “He praised the strong partnership between Pakistan and the IAEA, while observing that Pakistan was not only a beneficiary of the IAEA’s technical cooperation programme but was also contributing to the work of the IAEA through the provision of its experts and conducting international trainings for IAEA member states,” the press release said. The handout added that the IAEA dire...

The country’s nuclear programme has received recognition from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in addition to Pakistan’s steady progress and close cooperation with the agency. In a post on X following his meeting with Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) Chairman Raja Ali Raza Anwar on the sidelines of the 69th IAEA General Conference in Vienna, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi highlighted Pakistan’s achievements in expanding its civil nuclear energy capacity. He observed that Pakistan’s nuclear power programme was advancing “at a good pace”, particularly with the ongoing construction of Chashma Nuclear Power Plant Unit-5 (C-5). Grossi recalled witnessing the first concrete pouring at the site in February, which he described as a “major milestone in Pakistan’s efforts to strengthen energy security through clean and sustainable nuclear power”. The IAEA DG and PAEC chairman reviewed areas of cooperation under various agency initiatives. These included Atoms4Food, which applies nucle...

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday said he had received “elements” of a US proposal for a potential nuclear deal following five rounds of talks mediated by Oman, making the remarks the same day a report by the International Atomic Energy agency (IAEA) exposed Tehran’s nuclear activity. Tensions between Iran and the UN nuclear watchdog have repeatedly flared since a 2015 deal curbing Tehran’s nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief fell apart. Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi “paid a short visit to Tehran today to present elements of a US proposal which will be appropriately responded to in line with the principles, national interests and rights of the people of Iran,” Araghchi said on X. Iran stepped up its production of highly enriched uranium in recent months, said a confidential report by the watchdog, seen by AFP earlier on Saturday. It said in its quarterly report that it is of “serious concern” that Iran has an estimated amount of 408.6 kilogrammes enriched to up to 60 p...

• Rejects New Delhi’s call for agency’s oversight of Islamabad’s nuclear arsenal • India says water treaty to remain suspended until end to ‘cross-border terrorism’ ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday urged the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to investigate the ‘nuclear black market’ in India and repeated incidents of theft and illicit trafficking of radioactive material, as it rejected a call by India’s defence minister for the nuclear watchdog to monitor Islamabad’s nuclear programme. Pointing to multiple incidents of radioactive material theft in India and other security lapses, the Foreign Office said, “Pakistan urges a thorough investigation of these incidents and calls upon India to ensure the safety and security of its nuclear facilities and arsenal.” “If anything, the IAEA and the international community should be worried about the repeated theft and illicit trafficking incidents involving nuclear and radioactive material in India,” the statement added. The Foreign Office was responding to comme...