A Pakistani human rights activist has claimed that the Pakistan military has reportedly abducted 16 nuclear engineers to cover up smuggling of uranium to Iran. He raises serious questions over the safety of nuclear assets in Pakistan.
In a shocking revelation, a human rights activist has alleged that Pakistan has abducted 16 nuclear engineers from a uranium mining site located in Lakki Marwat in Pakistan’s Dera Ismail Khan. Amjad Ayub Mirza, the human rights activist, claims that this can be an inside job, while he suspects the Pakistani military of undertaking the abduction, ANI reports.
Some reports circulate in the Pakistani media claiming that “Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has stolen uranium from the site”. However, the situation is believed to be a bit complex as Mirza accuses a section of the Pakistani military of “facilitating the theft to mask alleged uranium smuggling to Iran”.
Did TTP steal uranium from Pakistan?
Mirza asks, “How could the TTP breach a secure uranium mining area without resistance from security personnel or the military?” He also noted that no shots were fired during the incident, making the situation more perplexing.
The activist also raised concerns over the “lack of an immediate response”, which could have been deploying helicopters to track the abductors. Indicating the security lapse as highly suspicious, he suggests a possible collusion.
Pakistan jeopardises global peace by supplying nuclear materials to rogue states
Alleging Pakistan’s military of being involved in covertly supplying nuclear technology to rogue states, jeopardising global peace and security, Mirza urged the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to investigate the incident independently.
He also underscored the threat to the safety of Pakistan’s nuclear assets and programs and called on the US to raise the issue at the United Nations Security Council.
Notably, the unauthorised transfer of nuclear materials and technology is against the principles of global non-proliferation, especially the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
In recent times, questions have been raised over safety of nuclear assets in Pakistan since the abduction of nuclear engineers in the country itself rings alarm over the safety of sensitive materials.