LONDON – EU mandated Conflict Armament Research’s report published uponweapons’-specific issues in conflict area, stated that seven Indiancompanies along with others have been found incorporating components usedby the IS to fabricate improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
The report has found that over 50 companies from 20 countries haveproduced, sold or received hundreds of components, such as detonators,cables and wires, used by IS terrorists to build IEDs.
More importantly the report noted that “seven Indian companies manufacturedmost of the detonators, detonating cord, and safety fuses documented byCAR’s field investigation teams. Under Indian law, transfer of thismaterial requires a licence.”
With all companies figured by the CAR list, the seven India-based companiesreportedly contributing to the supply chain of IS IEDs include: Gulf OilCorporation: Detonating cord, Solar Industries: Detonating cord, PremierExplosives: Detonating cord, Rajasthan Explosives and Chemicals: Detonatingcord, Chamundi Explosives: Safety fuse, Economic Explosives: Detonators,IDEAL Industrial Explosives: Detonators.
Yet the world’s powerful states like the US have ignored the recentunearthing of a nuclear smuggling racket in India. Nevertheless, if thesame had happened in Pakistan, it would have been a global issue. Theinfluential power kept silence on this racket busting of 31 tons of nuclearmaterial smuggling from India which nonetheless shows their resolve andseriousness about the issue.
This is disturbing as India being a party to the IAEA Convention onPhysical Protection of Nuclear Material and its 2005 Amendment, isduty-bound to prevent the smuggling of atomic minerals of all kinds. Thisalso comes in the backdrop of a 2014 report pegged “India’s nuclearsecurity practices” that ranks it at 23rd among 25 countries known topossess at least a bomb’s-worth of fissile materials. Also especiallyidentifying the weakness in areas such as mode of transport security,material control, and accounting, and measures to protect against theinsider threat, such as personnel vetting and mandatory reporting ofsuspicious behaviour.
Despite the poor Indian track record, the global nuclear order is focusingon making India a more reliable partner for nuclear technology and a NSGmember. Global Prestige has been a major factor driving India’s quest forthe mainstreaming in nuclear ‘disorder’ and build its nuclear weaponsprogramme, while simultaneously it is also about gaining access toenrichment, reprocessing and advanced reactor technologies.
Most importantly, those favouring granting this unprecedented concessionshave conveniently turned a blind eye to India’s 1974 nuclear test — dubbedthe smiling Buddha — which resulted from illicit diversion of spent fuelfor obtaining plutonium used in that test from a civilian research reactor(CIRUS).
Pakistan has always been admired for its role in the realm of nuclearsafety and security. More recently, the IAEA chief expressed satisfactionover implementation of the agency’s safeguard measures in the country.While realising the potential and efforts Pakistan has taken for the safetyand security, it is being still subjected to renewed propaganda.
Pakistan attaches highest significance to its nuclear safety and securityand complies with all international and domestic obligations. With thisripe evidential scenario, why are there no fingers pointing towards India?Isn’t it similar to an ostrich hideout in sand despite dangers coming atfront?By: Usman Ali Khan