A Pakistani analyst on Saturday said that Iran is pursuing a peaceful nuclear program and enrichment of uranium to 20 percent is its right. Shahidur Rehman, a senior research fellow at South Asian Strategic Stability Institute (SASSI), said that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is trying to politicize the issue of Iran’s peaceful nuclear program, IRNA reported. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in his visit to China has said that Iran’s position on its nuclear program is very clear which is being carried out under the safeguards of the IAEA.
Shahidur Rehman, expressing his views, said that Director General of the IAEA, Yukiya Amano, has taken a pro-American position on Iran’s peaceful nuclear program. “He must not take biased position on Iran,” advised the analyst. He was of the opinion that gulf between Iran and West has to be bridged through talks. The researcher said that a negative propaganda campaign is going on against the nuclear program of Iran. Shahidur Rehman agreed with the statement of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that western states don’t want Iran to enrich uranium to 20 percent. The analyst said that Iran has repeatedly clarified that it is not after nuclear weapons and that enriched uranium will be used for Tehran Research Reactor for medical treatment. He said Iran cannot be stopped from acquiring nuclear technology because the Islamic Republic has plenty of recourses and their government is committed to develop a peaceful nuclear program.
56% of Pakistani smokers want to quit: poll: According to a Gilani Research Foundation survey carried out by Gallup Pakistan, more than half (56%) of Pakistani smokers say they want to quit and 41% say they have (unsuccessfully) attempted to quit.
A nationally representative sample of smokers from across the four provinces was asked, “Do you want to quit smoking or continue with the habit?” Responding to this, 56% said they want to quit smoking whereas 40% claim that they do not want to quit. However, 4% did not give a view. The recent survey was carried out among a sample of 2,644 men and women in rural and urban areas of all four provinces of the country, during May 13, 2012—May 19, 2012.