Pakistan has surpassed India, Iran, and North Korea in terms of effectively handling hazardous materials, according to an international organization evaluating global nuclear security. The recent evaluation shows that Pakistan has made commendable progress since the last assessment, gaining three additional points and securing the 19th position out of 22 countries on the list.

It’s based on the NTI Nuclear Security Index which measures the security of nuclear materials and facilities, adherence to international norms and treaties, regulatory frameworks for nuclear security, and the implementation of best practices to prevent unauthorized access to nuclear weapons or materials.

Maintained by the Washington-based Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) a non-profit organization, the index records how countries manage nuclear material. Pakistan obtained a total score of 49, surpassing India’s 40, Iran’s 29, and North Korea’s 18.

Regarding the security of nuclear facilities, Pakistan ranked 32, sharing the position with Russia and Israel, and outperforming India, Iran, Mexico, South Africa, and other countries on a list of 47 nations. Nonetheless, the index also raised concerns about the overall decline in global nuclear security.

The NTI report highlighted that, after years of reporting flagging progress on nuclear security, the index found for the first time in 2023 that nuclear security conditions were regressing in the dozens of countries and areas with weapons-usable nuclear materials and nuclear facilities.

The authors of the report also pointed out that several countries, including Pakistan, were increasing their stocks of weapon-grade materials, which undermines efforts to minimize and eliminate such materials, increasing the risk of theft.

The latest NTI index evaluated the security of highly enriched uranium and plutonium against theft, as well as the security of nuclear facilities against acts of sabotage, considering the potentially dire consequences of radiation release.

In conclusion, while the report acknowledges Pakistan’s significant progress in handling hazardous materials and nuclear security, it also raises important concerns about the overall deterioration of global nuclear security, urging greater efforts to address these challenges.

Source: Pro Pakistani