Islamabad (TDI): Pakistan on Thursday expressed concern over a recently announced uranium supply agreement between India and Canada, describing the arrangement as another “country-specific exception” in the field of civil nuclear cooperation.
Earlier this week, India and Canada signed a series of agreements covering cooperation in critical minerals and a long-term uranium supply deal aimed at supporting India’s nuclear power program.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the agreement as a landmark step, saying the two countries would work together on long-term uranium supply as well as cooperation in small modular reactors and advanced nuclear technologies.
Responding to media queries, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Pakistan had taken note of the development with concern, particularly the potential collaboration on advanced reactor technologies between the two countries.
He noted that the arrangement represented another selective exception in civil nuclear cooperation, recalling that India’s 1974 nuclear test was carried out using plutonium produced in a reactor supplied by Canada for peaceful purposes. According to Andrabi, that test led directly to the creation of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) to regulate nuclear exports.
Read More: Canada, India Sign Rare Earth and Uranium Agreements in Bid to Reset Ties
“A state whose actions necessitated the establishment of global export controls is now being granted preferential access under selective arrangements,” he said.
The spokesperson also pointed out that India has not placed all of its civilian nuclear facilities under safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), nor has it made any binding commitment to do so under the current arrangement.
He added that several of India’s facilities remain outside international inspections, while details regarding specific non-proliferation assurances linked to the agreement remain unclear.
Andrabi further warned that the deal could carry broader strategic implications for the region. He said assured uranium imports could allow India to divert its domestic uranium resources toward military purposes, potentially expanding its fissile material stockpiles and accelerating the growth of its nuclear arsenal.
Read More: Canada Asks Air India to Investigate Pilot Reporting for Duty Intoxicated
The spokesperson reiterated that civil nuclear cooperation should follow a non-discriminatory and criteria-based approach applicable equally to all states that are not parties to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Selective arrangements, he said, risk weakening the credibility of the global non-proliferation regime and could have implications for regional and international security.
