ISLAMABAD, March 26: Pakistan on Friday made it clear that it will not allow the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to inspect its nuclear sites but has proposed a non-inspection route for the agency's inquiry requirements relating to Iran's nuclear programme.

The IAEA spokesperson was quoted in a section of the Press on Friday as saying that the nuclear watchdog had sought permission for inspection of some "relevant" Pakistani nuclear installations.

"No such request has been received and there is no question of allowing IAEA inspection to Pakistan's nuclear installations," Foreign Office spokesman told Dawn on Friday.

The IAEA spokesperson reportedly said the agency wanted its designated inspectors to take environmental samples from certain Pakistan nuclear facilities to corroborate Tehran's claim that the highly-enriched uranium contamination found in Iran originated from Pakistan.

IAEA inspectors discovered traces of radioactive elements and advanced equipment in Iran last year that could be used to make nuclear weapons. While denying that Islamabad received any formal request from IAEA for inspection of Pakistan's nuclear facilities, senior officials acknowledged that there was an ongoing dialogue between Pakistan and the UN nuclear watchdog over matters pertaining to the latter's inquiry of Iran's nuclear programme.

"Pakistan is fully cooperating with the IAEA and providing all information which it requires and will continue to do so but we will not provide access to our nuclear facilities to any UN inspectors," said a senior official from Pakistan's security establishment.

In Islamabad, officials maintain that "IAEA is neither pressurising Pakistan on its nuclear programme nor does it believe that Pakistan, a non-signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), is obliged to open its nuclear sites to IAEA inspection."

According to informed sources the IAEA had sought Pakistan's help in determining the source of traces of highly-enriched uranium discovered by its inspectors in Iran. IAEA has asked Pakistan to allow it to compare those traces with samples of highly-enriched uranium produced at Pakistan's own nuclear facilities, these sources told Dawn.

"Pakistan has agreed to cooperate and has asked IAEA to provide specifications of the uranium traces found in Iran so that Pakistani authorities can compare the same against specifications of Pakistan's own enriched uranium," the sources said. This would not require IAEA inspectors to physically visit Pakistan's nuclear sites.

"They can give us a sample and we can compare," a senior official said not specifying the form in which the sample could be received. "Modalities will be worked out once a decision has been taken," the official said.