The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will discuss threadbare the issue of nuclear proliferation by one of the Pakistan's top scientists Dr AQ Khan, at a meeting in Vienna on Monday.
Quoting a Vienna-based source, The News said that the IAEA Board of Directors (BoG) will discuss the entire gamut of issues related to the 'nuclear black market', once the IAEA DG Dr Mohamed El Baradei formally presented his report on the implementation of NPT safeguards agreement in both Iran and Libya.
Actions taken by the Pakistan government to stop the illegal exports of nuclear technology by prominent Pakistani nuclear scientist will also be reviewed at the meeting, the report said adding that the meeting was expected to last at least three days.
Besides other issues, strengthening the IAEA's activities related to nuclear science, technology and applications, and nuclear verification would also be discussed during the meeting.
According to the report, the opinion delivered by Pakistan's adversaries to the IAEA board prior to its meeting reportedly underlines that: "It is not an internal issue of Pakistan. It is a problem that affects not only Pakistan but the entire international community that seeks to prevent weapons of mass destruction getting into the hands of wrong customers."
It further said that the US and China are likely to defend Pakistan's position at the IAEA BoGBoG meeting as both the countries and several other members of the board have expressed their satisfaction over Pakistan's efforts to fully block the smuggling of nuclear technology by taking stringent action against the country's top nuclear scientists.
{{/usCountry}}It further said that the US and China are likely to defend Pakistan's position at the IAEA BoGBoG meeting as both the countries and several other members of the board have expressed their satisfaction over Pakistan's efforts to fully block the smuggling of nuclear technology by taking stringent action against the country's top nuclear scientists.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, it also said that France, the UK, Russia and some other members of the board believe that more steps should be taken to introduce international non-proliferation standards more effectively, besides what had been accomplished in Pakistan.
Despite Iran's claim that the country did not provide any information on Pakistani scientists' activities to the IAEA, the IAEA head has categorically alluded to Iran's claim that the traces of enriched uranium came with the equipment purchased from Pakistan, the report concluded.