Pakistan to use nuclear technology for energy needs

Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday said Islamabad was actively expanding its power production potential by utilizing nuclear technology to address country's severe energy crisis, said an official press release. The Prime minister, while talking to Director General International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Yukiyo Amino, said that Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) was helping the country to meet its power requirements."Pakistan with the help of IAEA was making use of nuclear technology in several areas including power production, medicine, agriculture, food preservation and water management for the benefit of its people," he said.Sharif said that Pakistan has very close cooperation with IAEA since 1957, under the 'Atoms for Peace' initiative, and said the country values this cooperation for peaceful uses of nuclear technology.He expressed the commitment of Pakistan as nuclear non-proliferation state adding. "All our current nuclear power plants as well as research reactors are under IAEA safeguards and all obligations are being fulfilled adequately." Amano, meanwhile, met with Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain and discussed matters related to mutual cooperation between Pakistan and the IAEA, a President House press release said. Amano appreciated Pakistan's commitment to use of nuclear energy for benefit of its people and extended his support for the cause, it added.