By Xinhua,
Islamabad, : The Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA) and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Saturday signed an agreement to jointly tackle the illegal trafficking in radioactive material, officials said.
The MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) signed by the parties, seeks to take up joint measures for detection and management of radioactive and nuclear materials at strategic points, FBR chairman, Abdullah Yousaf, said at the signing ceremony.
The PNRA will impart training to Pakistani custom officials to check smuggling of radioactive and nuclear materials. The custom department is the primary enforcement agency at international entry and exit points of the country, he said.
“The world is facing a growing threat from the illegal trafficking of radioactive and nuclear materials. Pakistan recognises its international obligations to join the global effort to tackle this problem,” Yousaf said.
PNRA would provide detection equipments to custom officials at seaports, international airports and any other custom stations across the country, PNRA chairman Majeed Azeem Hashmi said.
It will provide technical assistance for maintaining the equipment facilities and management of radioactive contaminated consignments, he said.
In the first phase, a pilot project would be started at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport (earlier Islamabad International Airport) by custom department in association with PNRA, Hashmi said.