Pakistan Claims No Tie to Uranium in Package at UK Airport

Facts

• Pakistan has rejected allegations in the British press that a package containing uranium, which arrived at London’s Heathrow airport in December, originated from the South Asian nation.
• A discovery of metal bars embedded with uranium at Heathrow in late December triggered a counter-terrorism investigation. The probe focused on why the substance was concealed in an airplane shipment of scrap metal.
• Scotland Yard has said that the amount of contaminated material was “extremely small” and posed “no threat to the public.”
• Commander Richard Smith, the head of the Met’s counter-terror command, has said that the investigation remains ongoing but does not appear to be linked to any direct threat.
• A Pakistan foreign ministry spokesperson suggested that allegations that the package was from Pakistan were "not factual," and that no information suggesting this had been shared.
• Security experts have suggested if the investigation finds the package did originate from Pakistan, it would indicate gross negligence in the country, as the radioactive bars would have managed to pass through multiple scanning and security checks at a Pakistani airport.

Sources: Al Jazeera, Guardian, Telegraph, and BBC News.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by The Telegraph. The shipment of uranium into Heathrow is worrying. Uranium is a dangerous substance that could have been used to make a dirty bomb. There are even concerns that the smuggling of the substance could have been part of a wider plot by state-backed Iranian terrorists to smuggle material into the country in order to target UK-based dissidents opposed to the regime in Tehran.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Al Jazeera. Reports blaming Pakistan for the package containing uranium may unjustifiably damage the country's reputation. No information on the case has been officially shared with Pakistani authorities. A more efficient and detailed investigation can happen if relevant information is shared with the Pakistani side. The UK needs to involve Pakistani authorities before making unsubstantiated claims.