Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission
Encyclopedia
The Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, (Urdu
:; widely known as PAEC), is an administrative governmental and autonomous science and technology governmental department of Pakistan, responsible for development of nuclear energy
and development of nuclear power sector in Pakistan. The PAEC was established in its modern form by a Parliamentary act of 1956 under the Government
of Prime minister
, Hüsyn Suhravärdie
.
The primary purpose of PAEC is to control the peaceful development of Nuclear technology
as well as development of reactor technology in the country. Over the years, the PAEC has built an extensive infrastructure for contributing to the economic uplift of the country. And, it has established nuclear medicine research centers mainly focusing on cancer by using the technology of Nuclear medicine
s.
A science and technology organization, the PAEC has sponsored science conferences and research programmes in the universities in all over the countries. The PAEC is also a partner of European Organization for Nuclear Research (PAEC) where its scientists have contributed in experiments. Its scientists visit CERN
on a regular basis while taking part in projects led by CERN. The PAEC is part of Nuclear Command Authority
under the current command of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani.
, announced by U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower in 1953. The same year, Foreign Minister
Sir Zafar-ulla Khan stated that Pakistan had no policy to developed nuclear weapons, and signed an agreement for cooperation on the peaceful use of nuclear energy with the United States
. In 1955, Pakistan Government
established a committee of scientists to prepare a nuclear energy plans and establishment of nuclear research institutes throughout the country. In 1956, Pakistan Parliament approved the establishment of a government agency to supervise the nuclear energy establishment under the Atomic Energy Council Act of 1956. Pakistani Prime minister
Huseyn Suhravadrie
established the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) and appointed its first chairman, Nazir Ahmad, a renowned experimental physicist. Its first Technical member
was Dr. Salimuzzaman Siddiqui
, who founded the agency's Chemical laboratories. Dr. Raziuddin Siddiqui
, a mathematical physicist, was put in charge of the research and development directorates of the agency.
In 1960, the PAEC proposed to the chairman of the Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation
(PIDC) the construction of a heavy water production facility
with production capacity of 50 kg
of heavy water per day at Multan. The PIDC did not immediately act on the PAEC's proposal. Field Marshal Ayub Khan rejected the proposal, and instead transferred Dr. Nazir Ahmad immediately to the Federal Bureau of Statistics
. Dr. Ishrat Hussain Usmani
, a bureaucrat, was made the agency's second chairman.
In 1965, the PAEC entered with agreement with General Electric
to supply the country's first nuclear power plant. Dr. Abdus Salam
, Science Adviser to Pakistan's President, traveled to United States
where he successfully signed an agreement with General Electric
to provide country's first nuclear power plant in Karachi. He also closed an agreement with the Government of United States to provide a research reactor in Rawalpindi
. It was under Salam's leadership that Edward Durell Stone
designed and the led construction of a nuclear research institute
in Nilore.
Following the Indo-Pak 1971 Winter War
, the PAEC came under the direct control of Prime minister
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
. In January 1972, the commission was transferred from the Science and Technology Research Division to the Prime minister's Secretariat
. Bhutto immediately replaced I. H. Usmani with Munir Ahmad Khan
, a nuclear engineer working as the head of the IAEA
's Reactor Engineering Division. With the appointment of Munir Khan, Bhutto orchestrated the nuclear weapons research program
.
The PAEC led the groundbreaking work in the development of the nuclear fuel cycle infrastructure and atomic weapons under the administration of Munir Ahmad Khan. Munir Ahmad Khan established different laboratories, facilities and directorates mandated to design, develop and test nuclear weapons and to build plants and facilities for the enriched uranium and plutonium routes to the bomb. Under his leadership, PAEC conducted the first cold test of a working nuclear device on March 11, 1983 at Kirana Hills which was followed by another two dozen cold tests till the early 1990s. The PAEC also ran its separate nuclear power program
and contributed in the electricity generation demands in Karachi. Under Munir Khan, Pakistan and China signed a joint venture of peaceful use of nuclear energy on September 15, 1986. In 1989, Pakistan and China reached an agreement under which China agreed to provide the 300MW nuclear power plant
. On May 28, 1998, PAEC scientists conducted the first Pakistani test
of nuclear weapons in Ras Koh Hills in Chagai District
, followed by further nuclear tests in Kharan Desert
. In 2001, Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority
(PNRA) and Nuclear Command Authority
(NCA) were established, and scientists belonging to PAEC's Nuclear Safety Division were given transferred to PNRA.
and Nuclear physics
laboratories in both East Pakistan
and West Pakistan
, where many scientist and engineers were educated. After the Bangladesh liberation war
, a vast majority of scientist and engineers at Dhaka
particle accelerator
flew back to Pakistan
. Prior to starting of the conflict, the PAEC had shut down all of their operations in the East-Pakistan. Scientists, engineers, and technicians were immediately advised to leave East-Pakistan in a shortest possible time. However, in West Pakistan
, the PAEC had continued their research operations. According to Science Advisor to the Government of Pakistan, Ishfaq Ahmad
, the PAEC was responsible to send more than 500 scientists to the abroad.
As of today, the PAEC is now the largest science and technology
organization of the country, both in terms of scientific/technical manpower and the scope of its activities. Starting with a Karachi Nuclear Power Plant and Pakistan Atomic Research Reactor at Nilore, and a neutron Charged Particle Accelerator, a neutron particle accelerator
. The emphasis in the early years remained focused on the peaceful uses of Nuclear energy
. Consequently research centres in: Agricultural engineering
, nuclear engineering
, nuclear medicine
, nuclear technology
, nuclear physics
, nuclear chemistry
, astrophysics
, astrochemistry
, astrobiology
biochemistry
, biophysics
, biological sciences, biotechnology
, theoretical physics
mathematical physics
, computational physics
, experimental physics
, geophysics
and other scientific and mathematical disciplines were set up all over the country.
As the emphasis shifted towards concerns for national security, important projects were also initiated in this area. PAEC remained as one of the most well known and oldest research government agency in Pakistan, where country's most prominent scientist have worked. With the establishment of Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority
and Nuclear Command Authority
, the PAEC has shifted back to focus on peaceful use of Nuclear energy as well as continued the research in nuclear developments in terms of both peaceful and scientific use.
has a long history of participating in an experiments and research undertaking with CERN
, and has a long tradition of wonderful physicists who are working around the world.Since 1960s, Pakistan has been contributing and regularly participating in CERN's project, theoretical and nuclear experiments. A prime example would be Dr. Abdus Salam
; dr. Salam was the first man to be accredited with all the collaboration with CERN which continues till the present when he convinced CERN to give Pakistan stacks of nuclear emulsion
exposed for further study of pions, kaons and antiprotons in 1960s. Some theoretical physicists from Pakistan had the opportunity to work at CERN through short visits. During the 1980s, some of the experimental physicists from Pakistan, specializing in the technique of Solid State Nuclear Track Detectors (SSNTD), also benefited from CERN by exposing the stacks in the beam at the Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS). In 2005, CERN awarded PAEC with " ATLAS Supplier Award in 2005, in connection with manufacturing and fabrication of various equipment for CERN.
In June 27th of 2011, PAEC and CERN reached an agreement for extending the technical cooperation with CERN's upcoming programmes. CERN's Director-General Rolf-Dieter Heuer
personally paid a visit to Pakistan where he spoke for the need of importance of Science in Pakistan and importance of Germany's strategic alliance with Pakistan. The agreement was signed in order to extend the an earlier agreement, which came into operation in 2003 between CERN and Pakistan for the supply of manufactured equipment for Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN along with placement of scientists and engineers from Pakistan to assist in the scientific programme of CERN.
was able to sign a contract between PAEC and CERN after elaborate discussions an in-kind contribution worth one million Swiss francs for the construction of eight magnet supports for the CMS
detector.
In 2000, CERN signed another agreement which doubled the Pakistani contribution from one to two million Swiss francs. And with this new agreement Pakistan started construction of the resistive plate chambers required for the CMS muon
system. While more recently, a protocol has been signed enhancing Pakistan’s total contribution to the LHC
programme to $10 million. Pakistan with all these efforts is already hoping to become an observer state at CERN. In 2006 PAEC and CERN agreed on expanded cooperation, including contributions by PAEC valued at 5 million Swiss francs.
, the world's largest and highest-energy particle accelerator
.
Full-Time members
Part-Time members
The Commission meets not less than four times every year, and it has the mandate to take decisions on all matters, including research work, promotion of peaceful uses of atomic energy in the fields of agriculture, medicine and industry and for the execution of development projects involving nuclear power stations and the generation of electric power.
(NUPG) and Nuclear Power Projects
(NUPP). The NUPP directorate is closely aligned with Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority
(PNRA), and performs surveys and feasibility projects for both PAEC and PNRA. The NUPG directorate oversees the operational units, and the NUPP Directorate is concerned with design and construction of planned units.
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
:; widely known as PAEC), is an administrative governmental and autonomous science and technology governmental department of Pakistan, responsible for development of nuclear energy
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
and development of nuclear power sector in Pakistan. The PAEC was established in its modern form by a Parliamentary act of 1956 under the Government
Government of Pakistan
The Government of Pakistan is a federal parliamentary system, with an indirectly-elected President as the Head of State and Commander in Chief of the Pakistani Armed Forces, and an indirectly-elected Prime Minister as the Head of Government. The President’s appointment and term are...
of Prime minister
Prime Minister of Pakistan
The Prime Minister of Pakistan , is the Head of Government of Pakistan who is designated to exercise as the country's Chief Executive. By the Constitution of Pakistan, Pakistan has the parliamentary democratic system of government...
, Hüsyn Suhravärdie
Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy
Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy was a Pakistani-Bengali politician and statesman who served as 5th Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1956 till 1957, and a close associate of Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Liaquat Ali Khan, first Prime minister of Pakistan...
.
The primary purpose of PAEC is to control the peaceful development of Nuclear technology
Nuclear technology
Nuclear technology is technology that involves the reactions of atomic nuclei. Among the notable nuclear technologies are nuclear power, nuclear medicine, and nuclear weapons...
as well as development of reactor technology in the country. Over the years, the PAEC has built an extensive infrastructure for contributing to the economic uplift of the country. And, it has established nuclear medicine research centers mainly focusing on cancer by using the technology of Nuclear medicine
Nuclear medicine
In nuclear medicine procedures, elemental radionuclides are combined with other elements to form chemical compounds, or else combined with existing pharmaceutical compounds, to form radiopharmaceuticals. These radiopharmaceuticals, once administered to the patient, can localize to specific organs...
s.
A science and technology organization, the PAEC has sponsored science conferences and research programmes in the universities in all over the countries. The PAEC is also a partner of European Organization for Nuclear Research (PAEC) where its scientists have contributed in experiments. Its scientists visit CERN
CERN
The European Organization for Nuclear Research , known as CERN , is an international organization whose purpose is to operate the world's largest particle physics laboratory, which is situated in the northwest suburbs of Geneva on the Franco–Swiss border...
on a regular basis while taking part in projects led by CERN. The PAEC is part of Nuclear Command Authority
Pakistan National Command Authority
The National Command Authority of Pakistan is a Pakistan government organization tasked with the command and control of Pakistan's strategic nuclear forces and strategic organizations....
under the current command of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani.
History
Pakistan was among one of the first countries (after Israel and Turkey) to take part in the Atoms for Peace programAtoms for Peace
"Atoms for Peace" was the title of a speech delivered by U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower to the UN General Assembly in New York City on December 8, 1953....
, announced by U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower in 1953. The same year, Foreign Minister
Foreign Minister of Pakistan
The Foreign Minister of Pakistan heads the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The current Foreign Minister is Hina Rabbani Khar who took office as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs on 11 February 2011, and as full Minister of Foreign Affairs on 20 July, 2011...
Sir Zafar-ulla Khan stated that Pakistan had no policy to developed nuclear weapons, and signed an agreement for cooperation on the peaceful use of nuclear energy with the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In 1955, Pakistan Government
Government of Pakistan
The Government of Pakistan is a federal parliamentary system, with an indirectly-elected President as the Head of State and Commander in Chief of the Pakistani Armed Forces, and an indirectly-elected Prime Minister as the Head of Government. The President’s appointment and term are...
established a committee of scientists to prepare a nuclear energy plans and establishment of nuclear research institutes throughout the country. In 1956, Pakistan Parliament approved the establishment of a government agency to supervise the nuclear energy establishment under the Atomic Energy Council Act of 1956. Pakistani Prime minister
Prime Minister of Pakistan
The Prime Minister of Pakistan , is the Head of Government of Pakistan who is designated to exercise as the country's Chief Executive. By the Constitution of Pakistan, Pakistan has the parliamentary democratic system of government...
Huseyn Suhravadrie
Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy
Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy was a Pakistani-Bengali politician and statesman who served as 5th Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1956 till 1957, and a close associate of Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Liaquat Ali Khan, first Prime minister of Pakistan...
established the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) and appointed its first chairman, Nazir Ahmad, a renowned experimental physicist. Its first Technical member
Chief technical officer
A chief technology officer is an executive-level position in a company or other entity whose occupant is focused on scientific and technological issues within an organization....
was Dr. Salimuzzaman Siddiqui
Salimuzzaman Siddiqui
Salimuzzaman Siddiqui , HI, MBE, SI, D.Phil., FPAS, FRS. was a leading Pakistani scientist in Natural Product Chemistry. He is credited for pioneering the isolation of unique chemical compounds from the Neem , Rauwolfia, and various other flora. As the founder director of H.E.J...
, who founded the agency's Chemical laboratories. Dr. Raziuddin Siddiqui
Raziuddin Siddiqui
Dr. Professor Muhammad Raziuddin Siddiqui , , also known as Dr. Razi, was an eminent Pakistani theoretical physicist and a renowned mathematician who played an instrumental and an influential role in Pakistan's education system and Pakistan's integrated nuclear detterence development...
, a mathematical physicist, was put in charge of the research and development directorates of the agency.
In 1960, the PAEC proposed to the chairman of the Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation
Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation
Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation is a state corporation of Pakistan. It was created to set up industries in Pakistan and then resell them to private enterprise...
(PIDC) the construction of a heavy water production facility
Multan Heavy Water Production Facility
The Multan Heavy Water Production Facility is a small heavy water production plant, located in Multan, Punjab, Pakistan, with an original annual capacity of 13 metric tons. Equipment for the plant was partly obtained from Belgium in 1980....
with production capacity of 50 kg
Kilogram
The kilogram or kilogramme , also known as the kilo, is the base unit of mass in the International System of Units and is defined as being equal to the mass of the International Prototype Kilogram , which is almost exactly equal to the mass of one liter of water...
of heavy water per day at Multan. The PIDC did not immediately act on the PAEC's proposal. Field Marshal Ayub Khan rejected the proposal, and instead transferred Dr. Nazir Ahmad immediately to the Federal Bureau of Statistics
Federal Bureau of Statistics
The Federal Bureau of Statistics, also known as FBS is a Government of Pakistan's major and executive and federal department charged with the national statistical services and to provide solid and comprehensive statistical research. The FBS is one of the departments of the Statistics Division of...
. Dr. Ishrat Hussain Usmani
Ishrat Hussain Usmani
Ishrat Hussain Usmani, , , , best known as Dr. I. H. Usmani, was a Pakistani bureaucrat and an atomic physicist who was the chairman of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission from 1960 to 1972; as well as the Co-chairman of the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission...
, a bureaucrat, was made the agency's second chairman.
In 1965, the PAEC entered with agreement with General Electric
Canadian General Electric
Canadian General Electric was a Canadian manufacturer of various electrical products. The company was a forerunner of General Electric Canada, now known as GE Canada. It was the Canadian counterpart of the American company General Electric.Canadian General Electric Co...
to supply the country's first nuclear power plant. Dr. Abdus Salam
Abdus Salam
Mohammad Abdus Salam, NI, SPk Mohammad Abdus Salam, NI, SPk Mohammad Abdus Salam, NI, SPk (Urdu: محمد عبد السلام, pronounced , (January 29, 1926– November 21, 1996) was a Pakistani theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate in Physics for his work on the electroweak unification of the...
, Science Adviser to Pakistan's President, traveled to United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
where he successfully signed an agreement with General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
to provide country's first nuclear power plant in Karachi. He also closed an agreement with the Government of United States to provide a research reactor in Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi , locally known as Pindi, is a city in the Pothohar region of Pakistan near Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad, in the province of Punjab. Rawalpindi is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad...
. It was under Salam's leadership that Edward Durell Stone
Edward Durell Stone
Edward Durell Stone was a twentieth century American architect who worked primarily in the Modernist style.-Early life:...
designed and the led construction of a nuclear research institute
Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology
The Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology, or commonly known as "PINSTECH", is a multi-program science and technology national research institute managed by the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission. The PINSTECH offers a post-graduate and post-doctoral research in the field of nuclear...
in Nilore.
Following the Indo-Pak 1971 Winter War
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a military conflict between India and Pakistan. Indian, Bangladeshi and international sources consider the beginning of the war to be Operation Chengiz Khan, Pakistan's December 3, 1971 pre-emptive strike on 11 Indian airbases...
, the PAEC came under the direct control of Prime minister
Prime Minister of Pakistan
The Prime Minister of Pakistan , is the Head of Government of Pakistan who is designated to exercise as the country's Chief Executive. By the Constitution of Pakistan, Pakistan has the parliamentary democratic system of government...
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was 9th Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1973 to 1977, and prior to that, 4th President of Pakistan from 1971 to 1973. Bhutto was the founder of the Pakistan Peoples Party — the largest and most influential political party in Pakistan— and served as its chairman until his...
. In January 1972, the commission was transferred from the Science and Technology Research Division to the Prime minister's Secretariat
Prime Minister of Pakistan
The Prime Minister of Pakistan , is the Head of Government of Pakistan who is designated to exercise as the country's Chief Executive. By the Constitution of Pakistan, Pakistan has the parliamentary democratic system of government...
. Bhutto immediately replaced I. H. Usmani with Munir Ahmad Khan
Munir Ahmad Khan
Munir Ahmad Khan , HI, was a Pakistani nuclear engineer and a scientist who served as the Chairman of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission from 1972 to 1991...
, a nuclear engineer working as the head of the IAEA
International Atomic Energy Agency
The International Atomic Energy Agency is an international organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. The IAEA was established as an autonomous organization on 29 July 1957...
's Reactor Engineering Division. With the appointment of Munir Khan, Bhutto orchestrated the nuclear weapons research program
Project-706
Project-706, also known as Project-726 or as the Kahuta Project, was a science effort codename of a project conducted during the Cold War and Russo-Afghan War whose objective was to develop Pakistan' first atomic weapon. The mainstream goal of the project was the development of an atomic bomb using...
.
The PAEC led the groundbreaking work in the development of the nuclear fuel cycle infrastructure and atomic weapons under the administration of Munir Ahmad Khan. Munir Ahmad Khan established different laboratories, facilities and directorates mandated to design, develop and test nuclear weapons and to build plants and facilities for the enriched uranium and plutonium routes to the bomb. Under his leadership, PAEC conducted the first cold test of a working nuclear device on March 11, 1983 at Kirana Hills which was followed by another two dozen cold tests till the early 1990s. The PAEC also ran its separate nuclear power program
Nuclear power in Pakistan
As of 2009, nuclear power in Pakistan is provided by 3 licensed-commercial nuclear power plants. Pakistan is the first Muslim country in the world to construct and operate civil nuclear power plants. The Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission , the scientific and nuclear governmental agency, is solely...
and contributed in the electricity generation demands in Karachi. Under Munir Khan, Pakistan and China signed a joint venture of peaceful use of nuclear energy on September 15, 1986. In 1989, Pakistan and China reached an agreement under which China agreed to provide the 300MW nuclear power plant
Chashma Nuclear Power Complex
The Chashma Nuclear Power Complex near Chashma city, Punjab, Pakistan, is a commercial nuclear power generation complex, consisting of Chashma Nuclear Power Plant-I and Chashma Nuclear Power Plant-II with CHASNUPP-III and CHASNUPP-IV are in the planning stages...
. On May 28, 1998, PAEC scientists conducted the first Pakistani test
Chagai-I
The Chagai-I was a codename referring to the five underground nuclear tests conducted by Pakistan at 15:15hrs in 28th May of 1998. It was named Chagai-I, as the tests were conducted in the Chagai District...
of nuclear weapons in Ras Koh Hills in Chagai District
Chagai District
Chaghi/Chagai is the largest district of Pakistan and is located on the north west corner of Balochistan, Pakistan. It forms a triangular border with Afghanistan and Iran.Pakistan conducted a nuclear weapons test in 1998 at Ras Koh Hills Chagai District....
, followed by further nuclear tests in Kharan Desert
Kharan Desert
The Kharan Desert is a sand desert situated in the Balochistan province of Pakistan.Kharan desert is Pakistan's second nuclear test site, and the second nuclear test — Codename Chagai-II — was conducted and supervised by the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission in May 30, 1998.The desert is...
. In 2001, Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority
Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority
The Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority , is the Pakistan's federal government agency which is based in Islamabad, Pakistan. The Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority was established to ensure safe operation of nuclear facilities and to protect radiation workers, general public and the...
(PNRA) and Nuclear Command Authority
Pakistan National Command Authority
The National Command Authority of Pakistan is a Pakistan government organization tasked with the command and control of Pakistan's strategic nuclear forces and strategic organizations....
(NCA) were established, and scientists belonging to PAEC's Nuclear Safety Division were given transferred to PNRA.
Research and Education
In early 1960s, PAEC led the foundation of particleParticle physics
Particle physics is a branch of physics that studies the existence and interactions of particles that are the constituents of what is usually referred to as matter or radiation. In current understanding, particles are excitations of quantum fields and interact following their dynamics...
and Nuclear physics
Nuclear physics
Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies the building blocks and interactions of atomic nuclei. The most commonly known applications of nuclear physics are nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons technology, but the research has provided application in many fields, including those...
laboratories in both East Pakistan
East Pakistan
East Pakistan was a provincial state of Pakistan established in 14 August 1947. The provincial state existed until its declaration of independence on 26 March 1971 as the independent nation of Bangladesh. Pakistan recognized the new nation on 16 December 1971. East Pakistan was created from Bengal...
and West Pakistan
West Pakistan
West Pakistan , common name West-Pakistan , in the period between its establishment on 22 November 1955 to disintegration on December 16, 1971. This period, during which, Pakistan was divided, ended when East-Pakistan was disintegrated and succeeded to become which is now what is known as Bangladesh...
, where many scientist and engineers were educated. After the Bangladesh liberation war
Bangladesh Liberation War
The Bangladesh Liberation War was an armed conflict pitting East Pakistan and India against West Pakistan. The war resulted in the secession of East Pakistan, which became the independent nation of Bangladesh....
, a vast majority of scientist and engineers at Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
particle accelerator
Particle accelerator
A particle accelerator is a device that uses electromagnetic fields to propel charged particles to high speeds and to contain them in well-defined beams. An ordinary CRT television set is a simple form of accelerator. There are two basic types: electrostatic and oscillating field accelerators.In...
flew back to Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. Prior to starting of the conflict, the PAEC had shut down all of their operations in the East-Pakistan. Scientists, engineers, and technicians were immediately advised to leave East-Pakistan in a shortest possible time. However, in West Pakistan
West Pakistan
West Pakistan , common name West-Pakistan , in the period between its establishment on 22 November 1955 to disintegration on December 16, 1971. This period, during which, Pakistan was divided, ended when East-Pakistan was disintegrated and succeeded to become which is now what is known as Bangladesh...
, the PAEC had continued their research operations. According to Science Advisor to the Government of Pakistan, Ishfaq Ahmad
Ishfaq Ahmad
Ishfaq Ahmad , D.Sc., Minister of State, SI, HI, NI, FPAS, is a Pakistani nuclear physicist, and well-known educationist and academic from Pakistan...
, the PAEC was responsible to send more than 500 scientists to the abroad.
As of today, the PAEC is now the largest science and technology
Science and technology
Science and technology is a term of art used to encompass the relationship between science and technology. It frequently appears within titles of academic disciplines and government offices.-See also:...
organization of the country, both in terms of scientific/technical manpower and the scope of its activities. Starting with a Karachi Nuclear Power Plant and Pakistan Atomic Research Reactor at Nilore, and a neutron Charged Particle Accelerator, a neutron particle accelerator
Particle accelerator
A particle accelerator is a device that uses electromagnetic fields to propel charged particles to high speeds and to contain them in well-defined beams. An ordinary CRT television set is a simple form of accelerator. There are two basic types: electrostatic and oscillating field accelerators.In...
. The emphasis in the early years remained focused on the peaceful uses of Nuclear energy
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
. Consequently research centres in: Agricultural engineering
Agricultural engineering
Agricultural engineering is the engineering discipline that applies engineering science and technology to agricultural production and processing...
, nuclear engineering
Nuclear engineering
Nuclear engineering is the branch of engineering concerned with the application of the breakdown as well as the fusion of atomic nuclei and/or the application of other sub-atomic physics, based on the principles of nuclear physics...
, nuclear medicine
Nuclear medicine
In nuclear medicine procedures, elemental radionuclides are combined with other elements to form chemical compounds, or else combined with existing pharmaceutical compounds, to form radiopharmaceuticals. These radiopharmaceuticals, once administered to the patient, can localize to specific organs...
, nuclear technology
Nuclear technology
Nuclear technology is technology that involves the reactions of atomic nuclei. Among the notable nuclear technologies are nuclear power, nuclear medicine, and nuclear weapons...
, nuclear physics
Nuclear physics
Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies the building blocks and interactions of atomic nuclei. The most commonly known applications of nuclear physics are nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons technology, but the research has provided application in many fields, including those...
, nuclear chemistry
Nuclear chemistry
Nuclear chemistry is the subfield of chemistry dealing with radioactivity, nuclear processes and nuclear properties.It is the chemistry of radioactive elements such as the actinides, radium and radon together with the chemistry associated with equipment which are designed to perform nuclear...
, astrophysics
Astrophysics
Astrophysics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of the universe, including the physical properties of celestial objects, as well as their interactions and behavior...
, astrochemistry
Astrochemistry
Astrochemistry is the study of the abundance and reactions of chemical elements and molecules in the universe, and their interaction with radiation. The discipline is an overlap of astronomy and chemistry. The word "astrochemistry" may be applied to both the Solar System and the interstellar medium...
, astrobiology
Astrobiology
Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe. This interdisciplinary field encompasses the search for habitable environments in our Solar System and habitable planets outside our Solar System, the search for evidence of prebiotic chemistry,...
biochemistry
Biochemistry
Biochemistry, sometimes called biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes in living organisms, including, but not limited to, living matter. Biochemistry governs all living organisms and living processes...
, biophysics
Biophysics
Biophysics is an interdisciplinary science that uses the methods of physical science to study biological systems. Studies included under the branches of biophysics span all levels of biological organization, from the molecular scale to whole organisms and ecosystems...
, biological sciences, biotechnology
Biotechnology
Biotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. Biotechnology also utilizes these products for manufacturing purpose...
, theoretical physics
Theoretical physics
Theoretical physics is a branch of physics which employs mathematical models and abstractions of physics to rationalize, explain and predict natural phenomena...
mathematical physics
Mathematical physics
Mathematical physics refers to development of mathematical methods for application to problems in physics. The Journal of Mathematical Physics defines this area as: "the application of mathematics to problems in physics and the development of mathematical methods suitable for such applications and...
, computational physics
Computational physics
Computational physics is the study and implementation of numerical algorithms to solve problems in physics for which a quantitative theory already exists...
, experimental physics
Experimental physics
Within the field of physics, experimental physics is the category of disciplines and sub-disciplines concerned with the observation of physical phenomena in order to gather data about the universe...
, geophysics
Geophysics
Geophysics is the physics of the Earth and its environment in space; also the study of the Earth using quantitative physical methods. The term geophysics sometimes refers only to the geological applications: Earth's shape; its gravitational and magnetic fields; its internal structure and...
and other scientific and mathematical disciplines were set up all over the country.
As the emphasis shifted towards concerns for national security, important projects were also initiated in this area. PAEC remained as one of the most well known and oldest research government agency in Pakistan, where country's most prominent scientist have worked. With the establishment of Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority
Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority
The Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority , is the Pakistan's federal government agency which is based in Islamabad, Pakistan. The Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority was established to ensure safe operation of nuclear facilities and to protect radiation workers, general public and the...
and Nuclear Command Authority
Pakistan National Command Authority
The National Command Authority of Pakistan is a Pakistan government organization tasked with the command and control of Pakistan's strategic nuclear forces and strategic organizations....
, the PAEC has shifted back to focus on peaceful use of Nuclear energy as well as continued the research in nuclear developments in terms of both peaceful and scientific use.
Expansion of Nuclear Power Plants
The PAEC is responsible for leading the construction of nuclear power plants in the country. As the primary provider for the nuclear power plants, the PAEC envisions setting up power plants with a capacity of 8800MW by the year 2030. In this context CHASHNUPP project was initiated in the early 1990s, with the aim of establishing a complex of 4 units each having a 325MW reactor. Expansion plans for KANNUP have also been launched. By 2008, feasibility studies were being conducted to identify new sites for further nuclear plants.PAEC Partnership with CERN
PakistanPakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
has a long history of participating in an experiments and research undertaking with CERN
CERN
The European Organization for Nuclear Research , known as CERN , is an international organization whose purpose is to operate the world's largest particle physics laboratory, which is situated in the northwest suburbs of Geneva on the Franco–Swiss border...
, and has a long tradition of wonderful physicists who are working around the world.Since 1960s, Pakistan has been contributing and regularly participating in CERN's project, theoretical and nuclear experiments. A prime example would be Dr. Abdus Salam
Abdus Salam
Mohammad Abdus Salam, NI, SPk Mohammad Abdus Salam, NI, SPk Mohammad Abdus Salam, NI, SPk (Urdu: محمد عبد السلام, pronounced , (January 29, 1926– November 21, 1996) was a Pakistani theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate in Physics for his work on the electroweak unification of the...
; dr. Salam was the first man to be accredited with all the collaboration with CERN which continues till the present when he convinced CERN to give Pakistan stacks of nuclear emulsion
Nuclear emulsion
In a Particle and Nuclear physics, a nuclear emulsion plate is a photographic plate with a particularly thick emulsion layer and with a very uniform grain size. Like bubble chambers, cloud chambers, and wire chambers nuclear emulsion plates record the tracks of charged particles passing through...
exposed for further study of pions, kaons and antiprotons in 1960s. Some theoretical physicists from Pakistan had the opportunity to work at CERN through short visits. During the 1980s, some of the experimental physicists from Pakistan, specializing in the technique of Solid State Nuclear Track Detectors (SSNTD), also benefited from CERN by exposing the stacks in the beam at the Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS). In 2005, CERN awarded PAEC with " ATLAS Supplier Award in 2005, in connection with manufacturing and fabrication of various equipment for CERN.
In June 27th of 2011, PAEC and CERN reached an agreement for extending the technical cooperation with CERN's upcoming programmes. CERN's Director-General Rolf-Dieter Heuer
Rolf-Dieter Heuer
Rolf-Dieter Heuer is a German particle physicist and the Director General of CERN since 2009.Heuer studied physics at the University of Stuttgart...
personally paid a visit to Pakistan where he spoke for the need of importance of Science in Pakistan and importance of Germany's strategic alliance with Pakistan. The agreement was signed in order to extend the an earlier agreement, which came into operation in 2003 between CERN and Pakistan for the supply of manufactured equipment for Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN along with placement of scientists and engineers from Pakistan to assist in the scientific programme of CERN.
PAEC Contribution to Compact Muon Solenoid
In 1997, a well-known Pakistani nuclear physicist Dr. Ishfaq AhmadIshfaq Ahmad
Ishfaq Ahmad , D.Sc., Minister of State, SI, HI, NI, FPAS, is a Pakistani nuclear physicist, and well-known educationist and academic from Pakistan...
was able to sign a contract between PAEC and CERN after elaborate discussions an in-kind contribution worth one million Swiss francs for the construction of eight magnet supports for the CMS
Compact Muon Solenoid
The Compact Muon Solenoid experiment is one of two large general-purpose particle physics detectors built on the proton-proton Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Switzerland and France. Approximately 3,600 people from 183 scientific institutes, representing 38 countries form the CMS collaboration...
detector.
PAEC Support to Large Hadron Collider
Muon
The muon |mu]] used to represent it) is an elementary particle similar to the electron, with a unitary negative electric charge and a spin of ½. Together with the electron, the tau, and the three neutrinos, it is classified as a lepton...
system. While more recently, a protocol has been signed enhancing Pakistan’s total contribution to the LHC
LHC
LHC may refer to:* Large Hadron Collider, a particle accelerator and collider located on the Franco-Swiss border near Geneva, SwitzerlandLHC also may refer to:* La hora Chanante, a Spanish comedy television show...
programme to $10 million. Pakistan with all these efforts is already hoping to become an observer state at CERN. In 2006 PAEC and CERN agreed on expanded cooperation, including contributions by PAEC valued at 5 million Swiss francs.
World's Largest Energy Experiment at CERN
On 10 September 2008, PAEC, along with the Universities of Pakistan, send a large team of physicists and engineers to CERN. Pakistani scientists were heavily involved and participated in Large Hadron ColliderLarge Hadron Collider
The Large Hadron Collider is the world's largest and highest-energy particle accelerator. It is expected to address some of the most fundamental questions of physics, advancing the understanding of the deepest laws of nature....
, the world's largest and highest-energy particle accelerator
Particle accelerator
A particle accelerator is a device that uses electromagnetic fields to propel charged particles to high speeds and to contain them in well-defined beams. An ordinary CRT television set is a simple form of accelerator. There are two basic types: electrostatic and oscillating field accelerators.In...
.
Composition
The Commission consists of the following members appointed by the Federal Government namely:-Full-Time members
- a) Chairman
- b) A Finance member, being representative of the Ministry of Finance, Government of Pakistan.
- c) Technical members of whom one may be a member for Administration.
Part-Time members
- a) A scientist in the service of the Federal Government of any organization setup by the Federal Government.
- b) Two scientists.
- c) Chief Scientific Adviser to the President, ex-officio.
The Commission meets not less than four times every year, and it has the mandate to take decisions on all matters, including research work, promotion of peaceful uses of atomic energy in the fields of agriculture, medicine and industry and for the execution of development projects involving nuclear power stations and the generation of electric power.
PAEC Chairmen
| Numbers | Name | Term Start | Term End | Alma Mater Alma mater Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:... |
Field | Educational Background |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dr. Nazir Ahmed | 11 March 1956 | 21 May 1960 | University of Manchester University of Manchester The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group... , United Kingdom |
Experimental Physics Experimental physics Within the field of physics, experimental physics is the category of disciplines and sub-disciplines concerned with the observation of physical phenomena in order to gather data about the universe... |
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) |
| 2 | Ishrat Hussain Usmani Ishrat Hussain Usmani Ishrat Hussain Usmani, , , , best known as Dr. I. H. Usmani, was a Pakistani bureaucrat and an atomic physicist who was the chairman of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission from 1960 to 1972; as well as the Co-chairman of the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission... |
15 July 1960 | 10 January 1972 | Imperial College of Science and Technology, United Kingdom | Atomic Physics Atomic physics Atomic physics is the field of physics that studies atoms as an isolated system of electrons and an atomic nucleus. It is primarily concerned with the arrangement of electrons around the nucleus and... |
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) |
| 3 | Munir Ahmad Khan Munir Ahmad Khan Munir Ahmad Khan , HI, was a Pakistani nuclear engineer and a scientist who served as the Chairman of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission from 1972 to 1991... |
20 January 1972 | 20 March 1991 | Argonne National Laboratory Argonne National Laboratory Argonne National Laboratory is the first science and engineering research national laboratory in the United States, receiving this designation on July 1, 1946. It is the largest national laboratory by size and scope in the Midwest... , United States |
Nuclear Engineering Nuclear engineering Nuclear engineering is the branch of engineering concerned with the application of the breakdown as well as the fusion of atomic nuclei and/or the application of other sub-atomic physics, based on the principles of nuclear physics... |
Master of Science Master of Science A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:... (M.Sc.) |
| 4 | Ishfaq Ahmad Ishfaq Ahmad Ishfaq Ahmad , D.Sc., Minister of State, SI, HI, NI, FPAS, is a Pakistani nuclear physicist, and well-known educationist and academic from Pakistan... |
13 March 1991 | 19 December 2001 | Université de Montréal Université de Montréal The Université de Montréal is a public francophone research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It comprises thirteen faculties, more than sixty departments and two affiliated schools: the École Polytechnique and HEC Montréal... and Montreal Laboratory Montreal Laboratory The Montreal Laboratory in Montreal, Quebec, Canada was established by the National Research Council of Canada to undertake nuclear research, and to take over some of the scientists and projects from the Tube Alloys nuclear project in Britain... , Canada |
Nuclear Physics Nuclear physics Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies the building blocks and interactions of atomic nuclei. The most commonly known applications of nuclear physics are nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons technology, but the research has provided application in many fields, including those... |
Doctor of Science Doctor of Science Doctor of Science , usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D. or Dr.Sc., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries Doctor of Science is the name used for the standard doctorate in the sciences, elsewhere the Sc.D... (D.Sc.) |
| 5 | Parvez Butt Parvez Butt Pervez Butt is a Pakistani nuclear engineer and the former chairman of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission from 2001 to 2006. A nuclear engineer by profession, Parvez Butt played an important role in the development of the Pakistan's nuclear power and weapons program... |
29 December 2001 | 5 April 2006 | University of Toronto University of Toronto The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada... , Canada |
Nuclear Engineering Nuclear engineering Nuclear engineering is the branch of engineering concerned with the application of the breakdown as well as the fusion of atomic nuclei and/or the application of other sub-atomic physics, based on the principles of nuclear physics... |
Master of Science Master of Science A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:... (M.Sc.) |
| 6 | Anwar Ali Anwar Ali (scientist) Anwar Ali, born: 1945 in Lahore, British Punjab State, British Indian Empire, , is a Pakistani nuclear physicist who served as the Chairman of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission from 2006 till 2009... |
1 May 2006 | 31 March 2009 | Nuclear Technology Education Consortium, United Kingdom | Nuclear Physics Nuclear physics Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies the building blocks and interactions of atomic nuclei. The most commonly known applications of nuclear physics are nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons technology, but the research has provided application in many fields, including those... |
Master of Science Master of Science A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:... (M.Sc.) |
| 7 | Ansar Pervaiz Ansar Pervaiz Dr. Ansar Pervaiz, also spelled as , Ph.D. HI, is a Pakistani scientist and a nuclear engineer who is the current chairman of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission , and current chairman of the Board of Governors of International Atomic Energy Agency . Dr... |
7 April 2009 | Present | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Stephen Van Rensselaer established the Rensselaer School on November 5, 1824 with a letter to the Rev. Dr. Samuel Blatchford, in which van Rensselaer asked Blatchford to serve as the first president. Within the letter he set down several orders of business. He appointed Amos Eaton as the school's... , United States |
Nuclear Reactor Technology | Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) |
Current Full-Time members
| Name | Designation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Dr. Ansar Pervez Ansar Pervaiz Dr. Ansar Pervaiz, also spelled as , Ph.D. HI, is a Pakistani scientist and a nuclear engineer who is the current chairman of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission , and current chairman of the Board of Governors of International Atomic Energy Agency . Dr... |
Chairman, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission | Chairman |
| Mr.Ghulam Nabi | Member, PAEC | Member (Technical) |
| Mr.Muhammad Naeem | Member, PAEC | Member (Fuel Cycle) |
| Mr.Zia-ul-Hasan Siddique | Member, PAEC | Member (Power) |
| Mr.Mansoor Ali Sheikh | Finance Secretary, Ministry of Finance (Pakistan) | Member (Finance), PAEC |
| Dr. Badar Suleman | Member, PAEC | Member (Science) |
| Mr.Waqar Murtaza Butt | Member, PAEC | Member (Engineering) |
| Syed Shahid Mukhtar | Member, PAEC | Member (Administration) |
Functions
- Programmes to develop nuclear power and fuel-cycle facilities.
- Promotion of use of radiation and radio-isotopes in agriculture, medicine and industry.
- Research, development and training of manpower to support the programmes of nuclear power and radio-isotope applications.
Nuclear power programme
The PAEC has two science directorate divisions that are responsible for nuclear power programs: Nuclear power generationNuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
(NUPG) and Nuclear Power Projects
Nuclear power plant
A nuclear power plant is a thermal power station in which the heat source is one or more nuclear reactors. As in a conventional thermal power station the heat is used to generate steam which drives a steam turbine connected to a generator which produces electricity.Nuclear power plants are usually...
(NUPP). The NUPP directorate is closely aligned with Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority
Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority
The Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority , is the Pakistan's federal government agency which is based in Islamabad, Pakistan. The Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority was established to ensure safe operation of nuclear facilities and to protect radiation workers, general public and the...
(PNRA), and performs surveys and feasibility projects for both PAEC and PNRA. The NUPG directorate oversees the operational units, and the NUPP Directorate is concerned with design and construction of planned units.
See also
- Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and TechnologyPakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and TechnologyThe Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology, or commonly known as "PINSTECH", is a multi-program science and technology national research institute managed by the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission. The PINSTECH offers a post-graduate and post-doctoral research in the field of nuclear...
- Space and Upper Atmosphere Research CommissionSpace and Upper Atmosphere Research CommissionThe Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission , is an executive agency of the Government of Pakistan, responsible for nation's public and civil space program and aeronautics and aerospace research...