Pakistan on Monday strongly condemned Sunday’s drone attack on the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in the United Arab Emirates, reiterating its full solidarity with the Emirati people and government.
“Any deliberate targeting of nuclear facilities constituted a grave violation of international law, including international humanitarian law, the United Nations Charter, and the fundamental principles of nuclear safety and security enshrined in the Statute and resolutions of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),” read a statement issued by the Foreign Office.
The drone strike on the U.A.E.’s nuclear power plant had set off a fire, though no injuries were reported and radiation levels remained normal, said the U.A.E. defense ministry. It said two additional drones were neutralized, adding the aircraft had been launched from its “western” border. While it did not elaborate, the statement suggests the drones were not launched from Iran, which lies on the U.A.E.’s east. Previously, since the launch of the Middle East conflict on Feb. 28, Iran had repeatedly targeted the U.A.E., defending its actions by maintaining the country hosted U.S. military bases.
In its statement, the Foreign Office warned that “reckless” actions such as targeting nuclear installations run the risk of “catastrophic and irreversible consequences for human life, the environment, and regional as well as global peace and security.”
It emphasized that the inviolability of civilian nuclear infrastructure was a well-established international norm and must be upheld without exception.
Reiterating Islamabad’s call for all parties to exercise maximum restraint and fulfil their obligations under international law and international humanitarian law, the statement advised avoiding any actions that could further escalate tensions with consequences extending far beyond the region. “Dialogue and diplomacy, consistent with the principles and purposes of the United Nations Charter, remain the only viable path toward lasting peace, stability, and de-escalation in the region,” it added.