Aus blocks shipment to Pak over WMD fears

Australian government has blocked shipment of advanced atomic spectrophotometers to Pakistan over concerns that they could be used to build weapons of mass destructions.

The government invoked hardly used 1995 weapons of mass destructions (Prevention of Proliferation) Act to bar a leading Australian company to export two atomic absorption spectrophotometers to a Pakistani firm, 'The Australian' newspaper reported quoting a spokesman of the defence minister John Faulkner.

"The minister used his powers to stop the shipment as it was feared that this equipment could be used to build WMDs," the spokesman said.

This is only the fourth time Australia has invoked the little known act to block shipment of advanced scientific equipment overseas.

Earlier, the government has stopped export of such equipments to Iran or to countries which were deemed at risk of on-passing them to Tehran.

The paper said the company involved was GBC Scientific Equipment which wanted to sell atomic spectrophotometers to a Pakistani firm in a $ 115,000 deal to analyse liquid samples, but was unable to convince the government that these meters could not be used to analyse metals used for centrifuges and missiles.

The defence minister said the government was aware of the commercial impact of the decision on the company, but said the deal had to be stopped as there were 'unacceptable risks.'