Pakistan has responded to reports that the deadly shipment of Uranium seized at Heathrow airport last month came from the country, claiming London has not contacted Islamabad in this regard.
The package was discovered by border agents during a routine search in the cargo of Oman Air passenger flight WY 101 that arrived at Heathrow Airport Terminal 4 on December 29. The flight originated in Karachi and the radioactive material was found in a shipment of scrap metal.
Alarms were triggered after specialist scanners detected the substance as the cargo was ferried to a freight shed owned by handling firm Swissport.
According to UK-based The Sun, the first to report the incident, the package was destined for Iranian nationals in the UK and arrived on a flight from Oman.
However, Pakistan's Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra said the shipment did not originate in Pakistan. "No information to this effect has been shared with us officially. We are confident that the reports are not factual," Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra told Dawn. She suspects foul play behind insinuations that the shipment had been booked from Karachi.
No arrests have been made and the shipment's intended destination is not clear. However, authorities said the probe was on in this regard. According to police commander Richard Smith, it does not appear to be linked to any direct threat.
"I want to reassure the public that the amount of contaminated material was extremely small and has been assessed by experts as posing no threat to the public," police commander Richard Smith told British media. However, the investigation will focus on whether it was the result of "poor handling" in the country.
The Dawn report also quoted an official who said an Oman Airlines flight had originated and left Karachi for Muscat on December 29 at 04.00 hours. "No metal or out-sized cargo was booked on the flight," the official emphasised adding that the country is being deliberately drawn into the issue.
Uranium, a natural element, is used in nuclear reactors after it is refined or enriched. While low-enriched uranium can be used to produce fuel for commercial nuclear power plants, highly enriched uranium is used in research reactors. Weapons-grade uranium is 90% enriched or more.