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US surprised as Pakistan plans export of nuclear material

US surprised as Pakistan plans export of nuclear material

Author:
Publication: Dawn, Karachi
Date: August 3, 2000

ISLAMABAD, Aug 03: The government of Pakistan is to allow the export of radioactive material and equipment for nuclear reactors, in apparent breach of recently drafted guidelines.  The news surprised and confused US officials, who said it appeared to undermine much of the recent progress made in talks on introducing greater controls on nuclear materials.  In a full-page newspaper advertisement the Pakistani commerce ministry has published an application form for the export of 11 radioactive substances, including depleted uranium, enriched uranium, plutonium and tritium, and 17 types of equipment, including nuclear power reactors, nuclear research reactors and reactor control systems.

Would-be exporters, who have to pay up to 2,100 dollars in application fees, must declare that the sale is for peaceful purposes only and the material will not be re-exported.  They must reveal the source of the material or equipment, supply an end-user certificate, and obtain a "no-objection certificate" from the government.  Although almost all nuclear material is held by the government, there are some private contractors.  "This is a fulfillment of our commitment to transparency," Javed Jabbar, the information minister, said yesterday (weds).  "There is absolutely no scope left for any kind of misuse or pilferage or illegal export of any substance.  We are doing it only in order to be a good nuclear citizen."

He said Pakistan had exported no nuclear material in the past and had no immediate plans for exports now.  Ishfaq Ahmed, the head of the Pakistani atomic energy commission, said the export of fissionable material, including enriched uranium and plutonium, was banned but other nuclear material exports would be considered.  His statement contradicted the advertisement's suggestion that enriched uranium and plutonium could be exported.

"We made a commitment to the international community that we would put in a place a system to exercise controls on nuclear exports and that is what this is," he said.  A US state department official said: "This is not exactly what the US had in mind when we talked to them about nuclear controls."

Another, engaged in monitoring Pakistan's nuclear programme, said Islamabad only two had drawn up export control guidelines weeks ago, and the advertisement seemed to contradict them.  "Up to now the Pakistanis have not supported the idea of making money out of selling this stuff," the official said.  "We're still trying to figure out what all this new stuff means." Pakistan's newest nuclear reactor went operational last month.  The 300MW plant at Chasma, in Punjab, was built with Chinese help.  Another on the same site should be ready within 10 years.

The country's first plant, a 125MW reactor in Karachi, began operations in 1971.  Pakistan also operates a research reactor at Khushab, near Lahore, also built with Chinese help.  It produces enough weapons-grade plutonium for five nuclear warheads every year, according to the Federation of American Scientists.  It has at least two uranium enrichment plants and two plutonium reprocessing plants.

The decision to invite nuclear exports comes as the government struggles to revive the economy.  With 38bn dollars in foreign debt still to be paid, it must raise revenue quickly.  "The purpose of this is very clear: it is to earn much-needed money," a former army chief, General Mirza Aslam Beg, said.  "It shows we have enough material to maintain our low-level nuclear deterrence and so much in surplus that we can sell it in the open market.  It is a respectable way of earning money." (Copyright Guardian News Service)
 


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