Nuclear watchdog praises Pakistan’s commitment to safety

Says Islama­bad is 10th larges­t contri­butor to IAEA’s Nuclea­r Securi­ty Fund.

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan is the 10th largest contributor to the Nuclear Security Fund and it clearly demonstrates a national commitment and serious approach towards nuclear security through the implementation of the Nuclear Action Plan for Pakistan, Deputy Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Denis Flory said on Saturday.

He was speaking at the concluding session of the three-day international seminar on Nuclear Safety and Security Challenges of the 21st Century organised by the PNRA in collaboration with the IAEA to mark the nuclear authority’s 10th founding anniversary.

Applauding the work carried out by the Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA) to ensure safe operations of power plants and the nuclear emergency preparedness, Flory, who is also the head of IAEA’s Department of Nuclear Safety and Security, stressed the need to recognise the importance of emergency preparedness and a strong commitment to safety and security called for continued international cooperation.

Recognising the participation and contribution of over 200 scientists from Pakistan to the IAEA training course, he said that the relationship between IAEA’s Office of Nuclear Security and PNRA is not only exemplary but sets a global precedent of successful partnership between IAEA member states and the Agency.

Hina Rabbani Khar, the minister of state for foreign affairs, who inaugurated the seminar, said that nuclear power generation forms a vital part of the energy mix. “It is also an important development imperative.”

Khar highlighted Pakistan’s excellent safety record in operating nuclear power plants while adhering to international safety standards, and said that Pakistan will continue to pursue a range of power generation options, particularly nuclear power generation.

PNRA Chairman Mohammad Anwar Habib highlighted his agency’s role in setting standards for the construction and safe operation of nuclear power plants and said that the authority was determined to foster a positive safety culture among its licensees and regulating nuclear facilities to protect the public, workers and the environment in a manner that wins the confidence of all stakeholders.

Chairman of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) Dr Ansar Parvez said that as the Fukushima accident unfolds, PAEC is revisiting the safety and emergency preparedness of all its plants.

Explaining Pakistan’s Nuclear Security Action Plan (NSAP), Project Director NSAP-PNRA, Muhammad Khaliq, said that NSAP, which was initiated in 2006, had set up a system for managing, locating orphan sources and guarding the boarders against any illegal entry and exit of the radioactive material. Pakistan has also set up a Nuclear Security Emergency Coordination Centre (NuSECC).

Published in The Express Tribune, April 24^th, 2011.