The Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) (Urdu: ادارہ جوہری توانائی پاکستان) is a civilian-controlled autonomous scientific agency of Pakistan who is responsible for nuclear applications and development in Pakistan. The PAEC was established by the Parliamentary act of 1956 under the Government of Prime Minister of Pakistan, Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy.

The primary purpose of PAEC is to control the peace time development of atomic/nuclear science and technology. PAEC is an independent and autonomous scientific agency of Pakistan which is responsible country's nuclear power and nuclear weapons research program. However, after the creation of National Command Authority, control over the Pakistan's nuclear weapons program was transferred over to National Command Authority, headed by Yousaf Raza Gillani, currently Prime Minister.^{[citation needed]}

History

The history of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission goes back to 1956, when the Atomic Energy Research Council was established. The same year, President Dwight Eisenhower announced the Atoms for Peace Program initiatives, Pakistan was among one of the first country to sign on (following Israel and Turkey), and signed a peaceful use of nuclear energy cooperation agreement with the United States. Under the Parliamentary act, Government of Pakistan established the Atomic agency to promote science research throughout the country. Its first chairman was Nazi Ahmad, a renowned experimental physicist, and the first Technical member was dr. Salimuzzaman Siddiqui who laid the foundation of Chemical laboratories in the Agency. In 1960, the PAEC made the proposal to chairman of Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC) for the construction of a Heavy water reactor with production capacity of 50 kg of heavy water per day at Multan. However, the PIDC did not immediately act on the PAEC's proposal. However, Dr. Nazir Ahmad was immediately given a transfer to Federal Bureau of Statistics by the Field Marshal Ayub Khan. 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. Science Adviser to the President, dr. Abdus Salam 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 Plutonium research reactor in Rawalpindi. It was Salam's effort that Edward Durell Stone designed and the led contruction 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, an IAEA scientist who was working in Reactor Engineering Division. With the appointment of Khan, Bhutto orchestrated the development of nuclear weapons program.

The PAEC led the groundbreaking work in the development of the atomic weapons which were developed under the administration of Munir Ahmad Khan. Munir Ahmad Khan multiple loboratories, facilities and directorates mandate to developed the weapons. The PAEC also ran its seperate nuclear power program and contributed in the electricity generation demands in Karachi. Under Khan, Pakistan and China signed a joint venture to peaceful use of nuclear energy in 1989. In 1991, Khan also led Pakistan in China where both country signed an agreement to provide the 300MW nuclear power plant in Chashma. In May of 28th, scientists belonging to PAEC test the first fission weapon in Ras Koh Hills in Chagai District, followed by another nuclear test in Kharan Desert. The Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission had supervised both the development of nuclear weapons and the control nuclear radiation program. 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 transfered to PNRA.

Research and Education

In early 60s, PAEC established the research reactor and particle accelerator in East Pakistan and West Pakistan, where many scientist and engineers were trained. After the Bangladesh liberation war, a vast majority of scientist and engineers at Dhaka particle accelerator flew back to Pakistan. 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 nuclear power reactor at Karachi (KANUPP) and an experimental research reactor at Nilore, Islamabad (PARR-I); a neutron particle accelerator at PARR-II, 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 is one of the most well known and oldest research institute in Pakistan, where country's most prominent scientist have worked, including Pakistani Nobel laureate, Dr. Abdus Salam (late), Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad, Mr. Munir Ahmad Khan and many other Pakistani scientists.

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's Contribution to CERN

Pakistan has a long history of participating with CERN and has a long tradition of wonderful physicists who are working around the world. Pakistan has been contributing and regularly participating in CERN's project, nuclear experiments, etc. 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 to date^[when?] when he convinced CERN to give Pakistan stacks of nuclear emulsion exposed for further study of pions, kaons and antiprotons in 1960s^[1]. 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)^[2].

PAEC Contribution to Compact Muon Solenoid

In 1997, a well-known Pakistani nuclear physicist Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad 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^[1].

PAEC Support to Large Hadron Collider

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^[1][2]. In 2006 PAEC and CERN agreed on expanded cooperation, including contributions by PAEC valued at 5 million Swiss francs.^[3]

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 Collider, the world's largest and highest-energy particle accelerator^[4].

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

Current Full-Time members

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 task of nuclear power is divided between the Nuclear Power Generation and Nuclear Power Projects Divisions. The former overlooks the operational units while the latter is concerned with design and construction of planned units.

Projects

CHASHNUPP

• 4 x 325 MW Units
• CHASCENT Full Scope Training Simulator

Operational Units

• CHASHNUPP 1

Planned Units

• CHASNUPP 2,3,4

KANUPP

• 1 x 125 MW
• 2 x 325 MW

Operational Units

• KANUPP 1

Planned Units

• KANUPP 2,3,4,5