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ISLAMABAD, March 13: Pakistan has not received any formal request till date from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to acquire uranium samples from the country's nuclear facilities , officials said here on Saturday.
In reply to a question about the origin of weapons-grade uranium in Iran, the officials said the European and American suppliers having cooperation with Iran's nuclear programme might provide a clue to origins of weapons-grade Uranium-235 isotope detected by the IAEA in Iranian facilities.
The New York Times on Thursday (reported in Dawn's Saturday, March 13 edition,-Iran's N-Plan: IAEA seeks Pakistan's help) said that IAEA was seeking Islamabad's permission to acquire environmental samples from Pakistani uranium enrichment facilities to see if they match the weapons-grade traces its inspectors had found in Iran.
US AMBASSADOR: In a related development, US Amabassador to the IAEA Kenneth Brill said on Saturday that members of the UN nuclear watchdog were interested in knowing whether Iran received "nuclear weapons' design materials" from a Pakistani-led nuclear smuggling network as did Libya, AFP adds.
Mr Brill also said the International Atomic Energy Agency should say whether a temporary halt Iran has declared in allowing IAEA inspectors into the country will allow the Islamic Republic to sanitize its suspect sites.
"Is it possible that, even as we meet, squads of Iranian technicians are working at still-undeclared sites to tile over, paint over, buy, burn or cart away incriminating evidence," Mr Brill claimed at a meeting in Vienna of the IAEA's 35-nation board of governors, according to a copy of his speech.
The IAEA board adopted a resolution on Saturday condemning Iran for hiding sensitive nuclear activities.
Iran says its nuclear programme is strictly peaceful.
