EDITORIAL (June 26 2009): aPrime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has asked the United States to help Pakistan develop its civilian nuclear technology. Inaugurating the 34th Nathiagali Summer College on Physics and Contemporary needs on Monday, he said if Washington could cooperate with India, why not with Pakistan. He insisted Pakistan's nuclear programme is of a defensive nature and that Pakistan has no aggressive designs against any country.
That's being over-optimistic, unless there is a real reason not yet made public. Washington's unforgiving hostility towards Pakistan's nuclear programme is too well-documented, as India was always given a free hand - US reaction to the Indian nuclear explosion in 1974 was muted, as the then Secretary of State Henry Kissinger decided 'it is futile to fight the fait accompli'.
And Kissinger didn't stop at that: he persuaded Canada to cut off supplies to the Karachi Nuclear Power Plant (Kanupp) and opposed the French sale of a reprocessing plant to Pakistan, which ultimately led to its cancellation. Nuclear energy is the safest, cleanest, cheapest and most efficient.
After some decline in its popularity that led to comparatively lesser number of new power plants during the 90s, nuclear power generation is now experiencing a kind of renaissance. Its contribution to the energy mix is gradually on the rise; in 2007, 14 percent of the world's electricity came from nuclear power plants. But in some countries, its share is much higher.
For example, 78 percent of electric power in France is nuclear-generated. Pakistan has all the more reason to exploit this potential to make up for its, one of the world's lowest per capita energy consumption. While its hydel power potential is enormous, but remains untapped because of political opposition there are serious constraints to the extensive use of fossil-fuel based electricity.
On the other hand, Pakistan has a huge reservoir of experienced nuclear scientists and engineers, who can effectively take up the challenge of widening energy deficit by building and running nuclear power plants. Also, there is no dearth of uranium, the basic raw material required to run nuclear power plants. Gilani is correct in concluding that Pakistan needs to fill its yawning electricity production-consumption gap by making peaceful use of nuclear technology.
But he may not be right in asking the United States to come forward and help Pakistan develop its civilian nuclear potential. The response the Pakistani protest received, to Washington's nuclear assistance to India, should make us believe that this chapter is closed at least for now. Knowing France can do it, but it would be unrealistic to factor in French help in promoting the civilian nuclear programme also.
That however, does not mean that all doors are shut on Pakistan; China is there. The Chinese-built 325 MW Chashnupp-I is in operation and a same capacity Chashnupp-II is under construction. The dream to increase nuclear power generation capacity to 8800 MW by 2030, with an increasing share of indigenization, is realisable, provided civilian nuclear co-operation with China is further institutionalised and put on stronger footing.
Rightly then, according to Pakistan Economic Survey 2008-09, studies are in progress at six new sites to establish their suitability for installation of additional nuclear power plants. As international nuclear politics develops and matures, it is quite likely that NPT-ostracised nuclear states lose their pariah tags and are accepted as full members of the nuclear club.
Over the last half a century that nuclear technology has been in use, both for weapons and electricity generation, the incumbent states have behaved with an extraordinary sense of responsibility. While only once has a country, the United States, made use of nuclear weapons, there have been much fewer accidents at the peaceful usage facilities as compared to those run on conventional fuels.
Then, it is the cleanest energy that aptly fits into the emerging consciousness of obtaining conditions dictated by fears of global warming and climate change. That narrative requires Pakistan to resist any, and all demands/proposals that tend to compromise the deterrence potential of its nuclear programme. By all standards, Pakistan's nuclear programme is the safest, and the need to enlarge its potential and scope is very much legitimate and genuine.
