US for IAEA involvement in security of Pak nuke reactors

Washington: Terming the relationship with Pakistan as transparent, a US official has said he hopes that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would be involved in the physical security of nuclear power reactors of Pakistan.

"We are optimistic that the IAEA will also be able to expand that programme to physical security of their nuclear power reactors some time in a not too distant future," Deputy Administrator for Defence Nuclear Non-Proliferation at the National Nuclear Security Administration Anne Harrington told lawmakers during a Congressional hearing yesterday. Harrington was responding to a question from Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur on sort of relationship the US has with Pakistan on the security issue of the latter`s nuclear reactors. "It`s a transparent relationship. The US government has open relations with the government of Pakistan. We engage in a variety of programmes with Pakistan," Harrington said. "We have mega-ports project there. We do second line of defence. We do export control training. We support IAEA activities to secure radioactive sources there," she said in response to a question. "So we do have as active a programme as we can with Pakistan," Harrington said. PTI