NEW DELHI: The Centre on Wednesday informed the Lok Sabha that the fourth reactor at Pakistan’s Khushab Nuclear Complex had become operational, according to reports.
The nuclear site, located about 200 km South of Islamabad, produces plutonium for nuclear warheads.
“The Government of India is aware that Pakistan is operating nuclear reactors (at Khushab), which are capable of producing plutonium for nuclear arms.
According to reports, the fourth reactor has become operational,” said V K Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.
He added that the Central Government was committed to taking all necessary steps to safeguard India’s interests and meeting national security requirements.
The news about the operationalisation of the fourth reactor was first revealed by the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) in January. ISIS experts David Albright and Serena Kelleher-Vergantini had said that their findings were based on satellite images of the nuclear site.