Al Ahram, p.7, (11/2/2007)

The race is going on between India and Pakistan

By: Sherif Taha

Pakistan linked its nuclear armament program with the Indian nuclear armament program. It aimed at striking a strategic balance with India.

In 1982, Pakistan established the first nuclear power plant in Karachi in cooperation with Canada with a capacity of 137 megawatt. After India conducted its first nuclear explosion, Pakistani Prime Minister declared that Pakistan will produce the nuclear bomb even if the Pakistanis found themselves forced to eat grass.

In 1976, France agreed to sell Pakistan a nuclear plant. During the same year, Pakistan established the Kahota research lab to the south of Islamabad to enrich uranium. This enabled Pakistan to be one of the countries that is capable of producing locally enriched uranium.

In 1984, Pakistan declared its capability to produce nuclear weapons. Pakistan was obliged to cooperate with the west and China at the same time. Cooperation between Pakistan and China extended to several important areas including establishing a small research center with a uranium extraction unit.

As for India, we can notice the recent interest of India in developing its defense weapon system and its missile and military programs. It is following the principle of the end justifies the means. It never sourced its weapons from a certain country but it diversified its weapon resources.

During his recent visit to south Asia, Bush signed an agreement for cooperation in the field of using nuclear energy for peaceful purposes with India. This will enable India to get US modern nuclear technology.

However, Bush refused to sign a similar agreement with Pakistan. The Pakistani government pledged to stick to the principle of nuclear deterrence in response to the Indo-US nuclear cooperation treaty. Some critics say that the treaty undermines the NPT because India has not joined it and developed its nuclear weapons secretly.

One of the prominent research centers stated that India and Pakistan might be on the verge of expanding the activities of producing nuclear fuel which might flare a nuclear arms race between the rival countries.

Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) stated that recent photos taken via satellites indicate that Pakistan intends to operate a new facility for extracting plutonium to be used in making weapons from depleted fuel of its reactors. The institute said that India is about to add three thousand centrifuges for enriching uranium to be used as fuel for nuclear plants or for making nuclear weapons to its 2000 to 3000 centrifuges found in its uranium enrichment facilities.

The report of the institute added that in view of the intensive efforts exerted by India to enhance its uranium enrichment capabilities, there is a possibility that Pakistan would increase its capabilities of extracting plutonium. The report wondered whether this might lead to an extensive arms race between the two countries.

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