KARACHI: The International Atomic Ene­rgy Agency (IAEA) of the United Nations will assist Pakistan in its atomic energy programmes in setting up more nuclear power stations. Dr Sigvard Eklund, Director-General of IAEA, who arrived in Karachi on a six-day visit to Pakistan, said in an interview that discussions at present are going on between the IAEA and the Pakistan Atomic Energy Agency at Vienna for increased co-cooperation in the field of nuclear power.

He said that rapid expansion of industries needs more energy and this had to be augmented by the setting up of more nuclear power stations in the country. In achieving the PAEC target the IAEA will provide technical assistance in the selection of sites, training of personnel, and in preparing the feasibilities.

The IAEA is giving 1.5 million dollars worth of assistance to Pakistan in the form of equipment, fellowships and experts, and this might be increased in view of the future plans of the PAEC. … [T]he Chairman of the PAEC Mr Munir Ahmad Khan, said that the IAEA chief will be visiting Lyallpur among other places and that Pakistan will seek the help of Dr Eklund for increasing agricultural production using atomic energy.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2023