FO rubbishes reports of IAEA team’s visit to Pakistan as ‘fake news’

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office (FO) on Friday rubbished reports of the visit of a high-level delegation of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to the country as “fake news” and said there was no veracity to the matter.

Addressing the matter in a post on X, FO spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said: “Stories regarding the visit of a high-level IAEA delegation to Pakistan are fake news! No IAEA official is currently visiting Pakistan; Nor are any policy talks planned in near future with IAEA.” She said the IAEA DG had last visited the country in February 2023 and the FO had accordingly briefed the media on the occasion.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar also responded to the FO spokesperson’s clarification and said: “Fake news from an anchor based abroad clearly rebutted. Such blatant lies and propaganda to harm the state based on malicious intent will be responded to.

Make no mistake.” The meeting shown in the viral video clip took place between the IAEA DG and PM Shehbaz place last year in February when they met to increase collaboration in peaceful applications of nuclear science and technology, particularly in agriculture and medicine, to the benefit of the country and its neighbours.

DG Grossi had spent two days in Pakistan during which he met with the country’s leadership and visited numerous nuclear facilities across the country, some of which he inaugurated. The two also spoke about the worsening effects of climate change on Pakistan and how nuclear science and IAEA support were helping the country.