Seizure of 'radioactive material': Pakistan says empty containers were being returned to China

• Indian media falsely claims country's port authorities seized "radioactive material" loaded at Karachi Port.
• Pakistan rejects reports, says containers in question were empty.
• Indian media reports on the matter are "factually incorrect, baseless, laughable and a usual ploy to malign Pakistan", says FO.

Pakistan on Saturday rejected reports in the Indian media claiming Indian port authorities had seized "possible radioactive material" on shipping containers aboard a commercial vessel loaded at Karachi Port.

Indian media had falsely claimed that port authorities at the Mundra Port had seized the so-called "radioactive material" on containers loaded on a Shanghai-bound commercial vessel.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement, clarified that the containers in question were empty. They had earlier been used for the transportation of fuel from China to Karachi for the K-2 and K-3 nuclear power plants and were now being returned to China.

The statement said that both the power plants and fuel used in these plants are under the IAEA safeguards.

"The containers were 'EMPTY' and the cargo was correctly declared as non-hazardous in the shipping documents," it underscored.

The statement noted that the reporting by the Indian media on the matter is "factually incorrect, baseless, laughable and a usual ploy of the Indian media to malign Pakistan and mislead the international community".

"The fake reporting by Indian media is indicative of a malafide intent to twist procedural customs issues to bring into disrepute IAEA safeguarded nuclear power programme," it added.