IAEA Certifies Pakistan’s Nuclear Security Regime as Robust

An IAEA IPPAS mission concluded Pakistan’s nuclear physical protection regime is robust after its first-ever 12-day review, offering recommendations and identifying good practices at regulatory and facility levels.

Pakistan’s nuclear security credentials have received their most rigorous international endorsement to date. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has formally declared Pakistan’s nuclear security regime robust, following the conclusion of the first-ever International Physical Protection Advisory Service (IPPAS) mission to the country.

The 12-day evaluation, hosted by the Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA) at the government’s request, assessed Pakistan’s legislative and regulatory framework for the physical protection of nuclear materials and facilities.

The seven-member IAEA mission team was led by Khammar Mrabit, a former director general of the Moroccan Agency for Nuclear and Radiological Safety and Security, and included experts from China, Romania, the Russian Federation, Slovakia, and two IAEA staff members.

The team conducted a comprehensive assessment of Pakistan’s nuclear security system at the national regulatory level and visited the Kanupp Decommissioning Project at the Karachi Nuclear Power Generating Station, Pakistan’s first nuclear power plant, which operated from 1971 until its permanent shutdown in 2021. The visit allowed the team to observe ongoing decommissioning activities and spent fuel storage.

The mission found that Pakistan’s security framework was appropriately implemented at the specific nuclear facility visited, that the regime is continually improved through periodic reviews, and that Pakistan’s capacity-building infrastructure actively benefits national, regional, and international expertise in nuclear security.

Recommendations were also provided to further tighten security rules and procedures, alongside the identification of several good practices at both regulatory and facility levels.

“The first IPPAS mission in Pakistan is completed successfully, marking the country’s commitment in further enhancing regulatory and operational aspects of its well-established nuclear security regime,” said Karine Herviou, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Nuclear Safety and Security, at the closing ceremony. “Pakistan’s contribution to building the skills of the nuclear security workforce is commendable and has a far-reaching impact.”

PNRA Chairman Zia Hussain Shah welcomed the mission’s findings: “Hosting the IPPAS mission underscores Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to maintaining a robust nuclear security regime across facilities and activities. The valuable insights provided by the international experts’ team not only validate our robust physical protection measures but also offer an excellent baseline to further strengthen our legal and regulatory framework.”

Pakistan is a party to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and ratified its 2005 amendment in 2016, which significantly broadened the original scope to cover the physical protection of all peaceful nuclear facilities and materials during domestic use, storage, and transport.

Separately, the PNRA in collaboration with the IAEA also concluded a five-day National Workshop on Commercial Grade Item Dedication for nuclear safety-related applications, bringing together regulatory staff, nuclear installation operators, and supply chain stakeholders to strengthen Pakistan’s capabilities in nuclear safety and supply-chain oversight.