by Masood Sharif Khan Khattak
Pakistan’s acquisition of military nuclear technology was a gigantic step in the right direction whereas the failure to develop nuclear power generation simultaneously was an equally gigantic neglect. Especially so when the base for this had been laid as far back as 1971 when KANUPP was made operational. Thereafter, efforts at developing nuclear power generation ought to have moved parallel to the military-oriented nuclear programme, but this did not happen. Chashma Unit 1 got operational in 2000 and Chashma 2 will get on the national electricity grid in 2011. By then they will not be able to account for even two percent of the nation’s electricity requirement.
Canada would never have facilitated the commissioning of KANUPP at Karachi if the world had not let it do so. Furthermore, during Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s tenure as prime minister, France had agreed to set up nuclear power plants in Pakistan. That this French offer did not materialise was because of our adverse political situation, with Zia-ul-Haq military coup removing Mr Bhutto from power.
Hope was again revived in February 1989, three months into Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto’s first government when President Francois Mitterrand of France flew into Islamabad to hold a joint press conference with her in order to announce a renewal of the French offer made to her father regarding the nuclear power plants. President Mitterrand did this despite international pressures not to go into such a venture with Pakistan. This was another opportunity lost. By the middle of 1989 it had become clear that Ms Bhutto’s government was not going to be allowed to last. The first blow was dealt to her government on Oct 23, 1989, when a conspiratorially generated vote of no-confidence was tabled against her. That she survived that vote is history to which I am a witness as one of her closest confidantes of that time. However, all that political turmoil in Pakistan put the French nuclear power plants offer on hold once again.
Had nuclear power generation been pursued and acquired in the 70s and 80s Pakistan would today have had a far better economy and the industry would have been booming with lots of foreign investment coming in and millions of jobs would have thus been generated. This one action may well have spared Pakistan the horrible situation that we are now going through because of absolute unemployment. Progress, employment and commercial activity always fill up spaces that are otherwise likely to be exploited by negative forces. Pakistan left too much open space for exploitation and is now, as a result, reeling in pain and agony.
The Pakistan of our dreams has not emerged because of many more missed opportunities in other fields of national life too, the prime one being in the field of law and order and its political handling. In May 1974, Balochistan’s insurgency was defeated by the Army. But after over 35 years of having resolved that crisis that province has not really mattered to the political elite of Pakistan and Balochistan. Because the military success of 1974 was not politically consolidated through a general uplift of the province we once again face a turbulent situation there. In 1995-96, after years of lawlessness in Karachi, the absolute writ of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan was re-established. Yet, in 2009, this great city is again in the grip of lawlessness. The current situation in the NWFP is the worst that can happen to any country. The very roots of the federation have been jolted. Military operations are in full swing. It is to be seen whether we create yet another missed opportunity after the Army has, hopefully, restored the writ of the State of Pakistan.
Forward planning, foresight, anticipation, brainstorming, talent over cronyism, political and bureaucratic reforms, quality over numbers, technology over old-fashioned attitudes, open and fair job and business opportunities, justice and fair play, revival of the Pakistani spirit, bringing about a young and dynamic leadership to replace the elderly minds that are still stuck in the 70s are aspects that will ensure that we do not miss present day opportunities and those that come up in the foreseeable future. But will we do all this?
The writer is a former director-general of the Intelligence Bureau and former vice-president of the PPP Parliamentarians.
As for as the energy issue is concerned; the oppurtunities lost are not in nuclear field only, infact when one compare it with other sources of energy, it does not appear to be a very very lucrative. Its just an option. The wind energy require much less investment. We have 50,000 MW potiential. Hydel is too cheap but with a huge investment. But oppurtunity lost is infact the thar coal reserve. 185 billion metric ton, it is more than kuwait and saudi arab oil combine. Worth more than 600 trillion dollar.
The writer general moral rhetoric is worth nothing. He is part and parcel of this system. Being a confidant of Benazir and PPP, his article clearly had a bias.
This claim of 185 billion ton of thar coal is simply a fraud perpetuated by bureaucrats. The confirmed reserves are about 6 billion tons. Rest is all a fairy tale. That is why no international agency accepts this 185 billion ton figure.
Yes…I also noticed the PPPP slant. However there is so much more to be done in all fields…to what all can we cry!!
Enough of the words, and now we need action.
Pakistan is located in the sunny belt and can ideally utilize solar energy. The initiatives of VNL and the like suit to the situation of Pakistan’s less-populated rural areas particularly those of Balochistan and the Tribal Areas, provided peace is heralded there.
What do you all participants think as & when any Muslim Country would take any step ahead in an Advanced Technology what would be the reaction of the West which is not hidden from your eyes.
See the followings & Make Up your Mind? How A.Q.Khan was so smart & achieved his goal.
http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1735096,00.html
http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0geu5qh6jhKQpkAO3FXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTB0YW9xdDNuBHNlYwNzYwRjb2xvA2FjMgR2dGlkA0Y4NjBfMTAy?p=Nuclear+Reactor&fr2=sc-sb&fr=yfp-t-501-s
http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0geusb56zhKnQABdsdXNyoA?p=AQ+Khan+%26+Pakistan+Atom+Bomb&y=Search&fr=yfp-t-501-s&fr2=sb-top&sao=1
About the West:
HAWAIEN UNKI SADIEN UNKI – WOHI QATIL WOHI MUNSIF.
Assalam-o-Alaikum ALL,
ALLAH ka kehna nahi mangenge to ALLAH is qaum ko isi abtar haalat main rakhe ga.
Pakistan ke paas sab kuchch hai. Is qaum ke paas sab kuchch hai. ALLAH ne aqal par parda dala hua hai.
loag bure hain
cheezo’n ki hawas rakhne wale, zan zar zameen ki hawas rakhne wale loag welfare state nahi bana sakte.
loag welfare state nahi bana sakte, jab tak achhAEE ki taraf wapas na A jaen
Is qaum ke loag achhe ho jaen, waqt ke sath sath sab kuchch khud theek ho jae ga
Loag!!! kharaab! hain
Loag!!! buraeee par bazid!! hain
Loag achhAAEE ki taraf A jaen, buraee karna chHorh dain, to qanoon bhi lagoo ho ga, insaf bhi mile ga, kaam karne ke liye ho ga, roti sasti ho gi, cheezain sasti ho jaengi.
Loago’n ke achhe hone ki der hai.
Jab loag achhe honge, ALLAH ka kehna maanenge, to sab kuchch khud theek ho jae ga
Dua go,
HarisKhan
Opertunities Lost are Lost , but there is still so much potential.
A study showed if all Govt building are made self sufficient ( Solar and Wind ) the whole equipment and installation will pay itself of in 10 years.
Now pakistan has a huge potential in renewable energy , Wind Solar Tidal Wave you name it! we have the environment and the weather.
No doubt it will cost a lot at the start but in the long run its more economical than anyother option.
If a small country where sun only comes out twice a month , can have the potential to produce 25% of the whole EU energy by renewable means then why cant we do it ?
Another Remarkable Achievement of the West naturally from their own p.o.v. but according to us the the Extreme Degree of Double Standard very Specific the current American Achievement which is covered the above cited:
http://www.daily.pk/pakistan/pakistannews/10444-us-media-hides-indian-nuclear-scandal.html
And For Pakistan:
http://uk.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUKN12506401
The above both News are current affairs of South Asia.
Fauji Genernaliun Aur the Elite of PPP woh kaunsa Din hoga Jub Hum Sahih Tour Pur DOST aur DUSHMAN mein Tameez Kur Sakien Gaay?
The writer should tell this to the govt instead making hue and cry in public… He might have been in contact with at least some guyz in the ZPP…. or they are too busy weaving money for themselves and journying around the world?
When this govt will be gone (Inshallah the sooner the better) they will start crying again… “we dint get enough chance”
what the hell are they doing now?
Just to make the facts right. The author is wrong when he says that the first nuclear power plant being acquired from France by Zulfi Bhutto went down the drain because of Zia-ul-Haq. The author should read “Aur line kat gayee” by Maulana Kausar Niazi, a close aide of Bhutto and a federal minister in his cabinet. He has a whole chapter devoted to this issue. Besides the contract for this French power plant was canceled during the reign of Bhutto much before Zia’s coup.
Another opportunity was also lost when instead of reforming our domestic intelligence set up the author filled all IB posts with jiyalas. It was such a disastrous move that it has shaken the foundations of our domestic intelligence. These corrupt jiyalas inducted into an extremely sensitive organization of the country have contributed to the mess we are in today and yes Benazir was equally involved in this crime. The author instead of crowing from time to time should have the courage to stand up and admit what grave wrong he has done to this country.
@Ghazala
“Pakistan is located in the sunny belt and can ideally utilize solar energy. The initiatives of VNL and the like suit to the situation of Pakistan’s less-populated rural areas particularly those of Balochistan and the Tribal Areas, provided peace is heralded there.”
There are two big pitfalls in using solar energy. First one it is extremely expensive to install and operate with a very long term return of investment and secondly you need to have a huge piece of flat land to install a solar farm. As an example, the biggest solar farm in the world is being built in California at Mojavi desert which is roughly 640 acres (1 squared mile) in area and will only provide 80MW of energy. I was watching Hasb-e-hal (june 13 or 14) and Aftab Iqbal brought another interested idea of power generation by putting turbines in our existing Canal system. I guess this need to be investigated and it may solve our energy problems in long term.
And I forgot to mention…
He himself has lost the oportunity of pointing out these things when he was the “vice-president of the PPP Parliamentarians” … what is the use of crying over spilt milk??????
and makin hue and cry on the present situation…
Assalam-o-Alaikum ALL,
Pakistan has 7 different ways of generating electricity.
The first is hydral. One of the most environment friendly is nuclear power. The latest of them is geothermal power generation.
As PTI’s representative mentioned to some detail, nuclear power gives power for nearly unlimited time, as far as we are concerned. We can’t live for 56,000 years. The important thing to note about nuclear power is, its totally environment friendly. Its cheap. If we do it, we will save billions that we usually invest in acquiring the solution from abroad.
Let me repeat, Pakistan has 7 different ways it can generate electricity.
The only problem is our “intentions”.
Pakistan main har cheez hai. Sab se zyada intelligent aur sincere aur achhe loag hain. Bas;
Hamari niyat kharaab hai
Dua go,
HarisKan
@Haris Khan
“..As PTI’s representative mentioned to some detail, nuclear power gives power for nearly unlimited time, as far as we are concerned. We can’t live for 56,000 years. The important thing to note about nuclear power is, its totally environment friendly. Its cheap. If we do it, we will save billions that we usually invest in acquiring the solution from abroad….”
This is usually what happens when unqualified people try to speak about every thing . 56000 yrs number is definitely a real one but unfortunately it is the half life of uranium, not the lifetime of a nuclear reactor. If that was the case, you will not have kanupp on the drip every other day. And we still don’t have a credible in-house technology for a commercial size reactor and we have to look for it outside e.g. china but we getting there. Also it is not that cheap and requires a constant supply of nuclear fuel and takes at least 8-10 yrs from ground-breaking to commissioning of the reactor. I am a big supporter of nuclear power generation but it will not solve the near term requirements but it should be pursued along with other methods.
I love it when people try to type Urdu in English. Everyone forgets that this website is based on English contents rather than Urdu.
As far as the PPP governments are concerned? Mr. Khattak forgot to mention the Civilian Marshal Law prior to Zia SHAHEED’s marshal law (awarding Shahadat is one’s own progrative; hence, according to ME Zia and the American Ambessador both were Shaheeds – pun fully intended.
Pakistan may have been on a bit better road, if Bhutto would’ve relinquished his seat to Mufti Mahmood. Furthermore, he also forgot to mention the Bangladesh incidence. Bhutto lost elections twice and each time he broke the country, either politically, or physically.
In addition, Mr. Bhutto’s regime could not bring the nuclear plant, neither did Muhtarma’s regime. Now lets see what Zardari(s) can do.
Assalam-o-Alaikum ALL,
@bechari-awam: Dude, you missed the point. You’r like that person who doesn’t look at what is being said, but rather than grammer with which it is being said. That’s counter-productive.
Your point about the cost is noted. However, in the long term, it WILL be beneficial, since not only can we utilize it for ourselves, but we can ALSO SELL!! IT in international community.
I didn’t claim to be best in nuclear physics or sciences.
The point was, Pakistan has more than enough ways AND means to generate electricity for mass distribution to its people.
In-fact Pakistan has enough ways and means, that it can not only generate electricity for its own self, it can also generate enough to export it.
But do we want to do it? Are our politicians ready to look past their hopes of getting commission or “bhatta” out of it? or are we going to let it go just because we won’t get it? Like Benazir Bhutto did in 1992, when she refused getting connected to Internet bandwidth via international fiber, just because she wouldn’t get commission out of it? That not only cost Pakistan in billions in revenue, but also a decade of IT industry jobs/work was lost because of it.
Pakistan should have started work on IT since 1992, when it was offered free connectivity to Internet via fiber, but that chance was lost.
Dua go,
HarisKhan
Assalam-o-Alaikum ALL,
There are roumers about saigol city. An oppertunity offered to govt. of Pakistan by a local trader/businessman.
They asked for one city, for building one city. Something like Ford did in US. But they wanted to build it according to their design.
They asked to build it and create jobs for (I hope millions of people) people of that city.
Govt. of Pakistan rejected their offer(s).
The history of Pakistan’s lost opportunities is HUUUUUUUUUGE.
What I want to say is, we, this generation will add to that huge list of lost opportunities, if we don’t get back on track towards being “good” Muslims.
Dua go,
HarisKhan
Every time PPP comes into power every opportunity of every kind is lost and wasted.
Earlier when Gen Muharraf was in power and when He decided to construct Kala Bagh Dam, then Benazir openly start to oppose the construction of Kala Bagh Dam.
But when Zardari came to power, be struck a deal with ANP that in return for ANP support in the center, Zardari will NOT insist on the construction of Kala Bagh Dam Project.
In fact Gen Musharraf was the only person after Gen Ayub Khan who could have constructed Kala Bagh Dam.
There is acute shortage of electricity but Zardari/PPP never cares. The bad wishes (bud-duaa) of the Nation will always be PPP for doing the dirty compromise with ANP 9just like NRO).
Why is there a picture of a Bullet Train?
Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir LOL
How did the most corrupt political clan become shaheeds just by being hanged in power struggle or assassinated by being stupid? Is this the way the Shaheed is defined Islamically?
How many people really know that ZAB and his forty thieves literally built the war chest by getting the key governmental positions for kick backs and fund the PPP political campaigns against his benefactor Ayub Khan…
He was one who instigated a war in 65 about Kashmir without any preparation to weaken Ayub’s hands and ultimately Tashkent treaty did Ayub in…rest is history…
Once got in seat of power by breaking up of the country his forty thieves looted the country by nationalization and destroyed the political foundations of the country for more coups d’état …I know one of his cohort who is in California was given 15 million dollars for safe keeping …who invested that and became one of the richest in California after making more on that money!
Coming back to missed opportunities his clan didn’t miss any or did they?
French would sell a nuclear power plant to the devil any time that is France’ main business…They were the ones who helped Israel setup the nuclear program… If you nationalize the industry as ZAB did, who cares about the power generation? There has to be vibrant businesses to pay for the bills…It is education and value added industry to prosper not loot and get kick backs and invest outside the country!
CAN ANY ONE DEMAND THAT ZARDARI PAY BACK HIS KICKBACKS?
I THINK EVER SINCE THE MIGRANT PAKIS GOT THE FREE LANDS AND HOUSES AFTER PARTITION…. SEEMS IT HAS BECOME A NATIONAL CHARACTER TO LOOK FOR THE FREE BEES AND NOT THE ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE CORRUPT WITH POWER… THE MAJORITY ARE COMFORTABLE WITH IT OTHERWISE THEY WOULDN’T HAVE VOTED FOR ZARDARI GETTING TO THE TOP?????????????????????
Opportunities are not lost for Zardari. He is still making billions. That’s all what PPP care.
These PPP pojaris cant stop worshiping Bhuttos. Bhuttos are all dead. Zardari will be next inshaAllah.
How much electricity we can make with nuclear power 2%. 3% or max 5% of our needs. That too with more than 10 times the cost of hydral power. Why PPP dont build one kakabagh dam that would make 7000MW almost 50% of our current needs. That too at only 10 paisa per unit (that is almost free). We would have surplus electricity if we had kalabagh dam. Plus we can have 5-6 million acre ft of water storage.
Go to hell all PPP supporters. Idol (Bhutto) worhipers.
Sindh refuses fund allocation for Thar coal project
<a href=”http://www.envirogadget.com/water-powered/vena-mini-hydro-system-portable-turbine-generator/” Portable Turbine Generator
<a href=”http://www.powermag.com/business/Global-Monitor-July-2008_113_p3.html” U.S. rivers next massive power source?
<a href=”http://earth2tech.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/freeflowpowersetup.jpg” Free Flow Power setup
Portable Turbine Generator
U.S. rivers next massive power source?
Free Flow Power setup
First there was something about half life of Uranium , then 500 billions pounds punjab budget and now this saigol city with a ?millions jobs.
Pakistan has lots of genius guys, some of them know everything.
Niaz Mand
Bhola
Hydroelectricity means clean and cheap energy for today and for tomorrow
@ bhola
RE: Pakistan has lots of genius guys, some of them know everything.
Yes! And they all live in either America, or England.
Well if we talk abt the opportunistic loss…..with regard to one school of thought it may be right but there exist other school of thought too………….
at the time when pakistan showed up itself as a nuclear power, thar coal project was at the tpo of the list…but on 28th may all the foreign engineer left the country along wid the funds……Along wid this i would also like to mention that there are just 6 billion ton of coal reserve and all of that is not of that quality to be utilized for power generation……Moreover the harmful effects of using coal in china are in front of everyone………….
i also read someone mentioning abt the solar energy….its a HUGEEEE investment bro. Atleast not possible for a country like pakistan to invest in.. ..i thnk Hydral is the only option left along wid coal (to some extent)
Assalam-o-Alaikum-Warahmat-ULLAH ALL,
@Public: Dude!! I agree with you. Pakistan DOES have other means to generate electricity.
Having said that .. NEVER dismiss someone else’s proposal, just because you also have one.
As I said before, Pakistan has 7 different ways of generating CHEAP electricity on large scale.
Water reservoirs may not be available everywhere, but nuclear plants can be created anywhere.
There are disputes on hydral power generation because of disputes on dams.
The point is -> We in Pakistan don’t want to hear excuses. We NEED power to make our economy run.
We need cheap electricity NOW. Our economy cannot sustain its current power outage situation.
By killing electricity and increasing its rates, we are digging a hole for ourselves to burry our nation in.
That is un-acceptable!!!
Dua go,
HarisKhan
Assalam-o-Alaikum-Warahmat-ULLAH ALL,
@bhola: You know what? I’m still better than you in this instance? Why? Because I tried and failed. YOU .. on the other hand NEVER gave any positive input. You .. repeated your same trait -> Sit on the sidelines, do nothing, bash others for trying and failing.
I pity you on your pathetic attempt at sarcasm.
silkccut: I put you in the same category as bhola. You have more ego and sarcasm than positive input to our society.
To all of you who have no input in our society, who are not contributing anything positive, I TELL YOU TO either contribute something positive to our society or STFU!!!! and keep your hate, your sarcasm, your lust to bash someone inside you
YOU deserve more of that hate, that sarcasm, than the people who try and fail
Dua go,
HarisKhan
The writer has a point about nuclear power generation technology, but he could have done without the pro-PPP slant. One thing that’s being ignored is that we can’t benifit from any opportunities beyond a certain point unless we seriously invest in our education system and provide a business friendly environment for our local entrepreneurs. And unfortunately, in this regard, every time the PPP comes into power, it is a disaster for the country. ZAB destroyed the industry through nationalization and Zardari through his corruption. In the 1980s, Mehboob-ul-Haq started a foreign Ph.D scheme for Pakistani students, but the PPP govt abolished it. And the present PPP govt has done the same thing by drastically cutting the HEC’s budget and stopping its foreign phd scheme:
http://pkpolitics.com/2009/01/05/the-government-slashes-foreign-phd-scholarships/
to this man named khattak
former DJ of IB
I have some questions to ask him and to those who read this site
1) do you believe in a creator, i.e God , Khuda, Bhagwan,
2)do you believe one day bodies turned into dust will be raised again and will be held
accoubtablen for what they did
if you do
then how can you use word shaheed for
a) bhutto b) benazir
the word means
a person who embraced death while on the path of his/her creator
in other words died for his/her creator
so , do you really believe that bhutto/benazir died for creator
the answer to the question is NO
every one who know these two knows this
BUT
the punishment for the one like you /khatak
is this ; you deceive people, 180 million people, you deceive them,
a person like bhuto , who was the key player in dividing pakistan, deceived
>200 million muslims then(indian and pakistani muslims)
met thesme fate like other two(mujeeb and indra- all three died un natural death
and their male heirs also died un natural deaths, sanjay, rajiv, shahnwaz, murtaza and
mujeeb’s son/s- is this a co incidence that all three met same fate within 40 years of
dividing pakistan- do you beleive in a Creator now – or still trying to deceive)
so
one who deceives people , he is actually deceiving himself
but , again , khatak, you can not understand it,
you will not feel ashamed of yourself
thats why now , after having done all the bad you could do ( or may be plan for more bad), you are preaching pakistanis thru this web site,
let me take you a test
say Ameen in you heart , to this prayer
May the creator raise you from dust with those you call your leaders
i.e bhutto and benazir
say Ameen in your heart
can you do that
This gentleman does not know what he is talking about , he has been a sychophant before, he is sycophant now. He is sounding more like “darbari maskhara”. Must be looking for some big favor from AZ & Co.
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