The Foreign Office has dismissed reports that a 'uranium package' that made its way to Heathrow Airport, had originated in Pakistan, it emerged on Thursday.
Not only have officials denied the original assertion, they also suspected a foul play behind the allegation that it came from Karachi, as per media reports.
“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 said.
She made the remarks when asked about the reports in the British media on the aforesaid discovery.
A day earlier (Jan 11), British police opened a probe into an alleged ‘Pakistan originated’ uranium package at London’s Heathrow Airport, it emerged on Wednesday.
According to the law enforcement agency, the package was found during a routine search carried out on Dec 29, 2022.
British tabloid newspaper The Sun had reported that the package had originated in Pakistan, before it got on a flight from Oman.
As per BBC, it was investigated whether the highly-sensitive substance, which was found in a shipment of scrap metal, made its way to the flight as a result of “poor handling” in Pakistan.
On the same day, Richard Smith, a police official, told the media, “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.”
“Although our investigation remains ongoing, from our inquiries so far, it does not appear to be linked to any direct threat,” he had said.
According to Reuters, uranium can be used for civilian power generation and scientific purposes and is a key ingredient in nuclear weapons. Certain isotopes emit radiation that can be harmful to humans, and the metal itself is toxic if ingested or inhaled.
Not only have officials denied the original assertion, they also suspected a foul play behind the allegation that it came from Karachi, as per media reports.
“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 said.
She made the remarks when asked about the reports in the British media on the aforesaid discovery.
A day earlier (Jan 11), British police opened a probe into an alleged ‘Pakistan originated’ uranium package at London’s Heathrow Airport, it emerged on Wednesday.
According to the law enforcement agency, the package was found during a routine search carried out on Dec 29, 2022.
British tabloid newspaper The Sun had reported that the package had originated in Pakistan, before it got on a flight from Oman.
As per BBC, it was investigated whether the highly-sensitive substance, which was found in a shipment of scrap metal, made its way to the flight as a result of “poor handling” in Pakistan.
On the same day, Richard Smith, a police official, told the media, “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.”
“Although our investigation remains ongoing, from our inquiries so far, it does not appear to be linked to any direct threat,” he had said.
According to Reuters, uranium can be used for civilian power generation and scientific purposes and is a key ingredient in nuclear weapons. Certain isotopes emit radiation that can be harmful to humans, and the metal itself is toxic if ingested or inhaled.