UNITED NATIONS, Nov 1: Pakistan on Monday stressed that the UN nuclear watchdog (IAEA) should not be ‘used to serve partisan political objectives,’ saying ‘its verification regime could remain credible only if it is applied on a non-discriminatory basis, as stipulated in the agency’s statutes.’

“Cooperation and greater understanding is required among the member states of the IAEA to advance its mandate on the basis of impartiality, equity and professionalism,” said Pakistan’s acting permanent representative to the UN, Aziz Ahmed Chaudhry, while speaking in the UN General Assembly’s plenary meeting on its agenda item ‘Report of the International Atomic Energy Agency.’

While saying ‘we support the call for the states to fully comply with their respective safeguards obligations,’ Mr Chaudhry said efforts were also required to ‘correct’ the public perception of the IAEA as being just a nuclear watchdog.

“The IAEA’s primary role in the promotion of peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology needs to be reemphasized,” he added.

He said that the IAEA activities ‘must conform to its statutory responsibilities and its legal authority.’

“We share the view that the IAEA is not an investigative agency. It cannot be asked to perform tasks which are beyond the scope of its statute or not approved by its membership. Any reform in the agency should be non-discriminatory and inclusive.”