Pak heads IAEA's Board of Governors

IAEA-PAK

Vienna/New Delhi, Sept 27 (PTI) Seen by many as a rogue
nuclear state, Pakistan Monday ironically became the head of
the governing body of the UN nuclear watchdog--International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
In an election at a special one-day meeting in Vienna,
IAEA's 35-member board of governors appointed Pakistan Atomic
Energy Commission's head, Ansar Parvez, as its chairman for
the next one year. The Board is the most important
policy-making body after the 151-nation general conference.
Observers in New Delhi did not attach undue importance to
the development saying the post was rotating and Pakistan's
candidature was endorsed by the Asian block. India had twice
chaired the Board of Governors and Pakistan had done so once
in the past.
Pakistan has taken over the chair the main role of which
is to preside over debates and helping the Board of Governors
reach consensus decisions, from Malaysia.
According to reports from Vienna, some experts see
Pakistan as a potential problem because it was home to a
nuclear-smuggling ring run by scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, the
father of Pakistan's atomic bomb and a national hero.
Khan had publicly confessed in 2004 that he shared atomic
secrets with Iran, Libya and North Korea, although he later
retracted his remarks.
There is also concern over the security of Pakistan's
nuclear arsenal and stockpile of weapons-grade material and
the danger of their falling into the hands of the Taliban and
Al-Qaeda insurgents, according to reports. PTI PYK
SAK


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