Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) (

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

governmental agency, concerned with research and development of

nuclear power Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions to produce electricity. Nuclear power can be obtained from nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion reactions. Presently, the vast majority of electricity from nuclear power is produced b ...

, promotion of nuclear science, energy conservation and the peaceful usage of

nuclear technology Nuclear technology is technology that involves the nuclear reactions of atomic nuclei. Among the notable nuclear technologies are nuclear reactors, nuclear medicine and nuclear weapons. It is also used, among other things, in smoke detectors an ...

. Since its establishment in 1956, the PAEC has overseen the extensive development of nuclear infrastructure to support the economical uplift of Pakistan by founding institutions that focus on development on

food irradiation Food irradiation is the process of exposing food and food packaging to ionizing radiation, such as from gamma rays, x-rays, or electron beams. Food irradiation improves food safety and extends product shelf life (preservation) by effectively ...

and on

nuclear medicine Nuclear medicine or nucleology is a medical specialty involving the application of radioactive substances in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Nuclear imaging, in a sense, is "radiology done inside out" because it records radiation emitting ...

radiation therapy for

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

treatment. The PAEC organizes conferences and directs research at the country's leading universities. Since the 1960s, the PAEC is also a scientific research partner and sponsor of the

European Organization for Nuclear Research The European Organization for Nuclear Research, known as CERN (; ; ), is an intergovernmental organization that operates the largest particle physics laboratory in the world. Established in 1954, it is based in a northwestern suburb of Gene ...

(CERN), where Pakistani scientists have contributed to developing

particle accelerator A particle accelerator is a machine that uses electromagnetic fields to propel charged particles to very high speeds and energies, and to contain them in well-defined beams. Large accelerators are used for fundamental research in particle ...

s and research on

high-energy physics Particle physics or high energy physics is the study of fundamental particles and forces that constitute matter and radiation. The fundamental particles in the universe are classified in the Standard Model as fermions (matter particles) and b ...

. PAEC scientists regularly pay visits to CERN while taking part in projects led by CERN. Until 2001, the PAEC was the civilian federal oversight agency that manifested the control of

atomic radiation Ionizing radiation (or ionising radiation), including nuclear radiation, consists of subatomic particles or electromagnetic waves that have sufficient energy to ionize atoms or molecules by detaching electrons from them. Some particles can travel ...

, development of

nuclear weapons A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions (thermonuclear bomb), producing a nuclear explosion. Both bomb ...

, and their testing. These functions were eventually taken over by the Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NRA), and the National Command Authority under the

Prime Minister of Pakistan The prime minister of Pakistan ( ur, , romanized: Wazīr ē Aʿẓam , ) is the head of government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Executive authority is vested in the prime minister and his chosen cabinet, despite the president of Paki ...

Overview

Early history

Following the

partition Partition may refer to: Computing Hardware * Disk partitioning, the division of a hard disk drive * Memory partition, a subdivision of a computer's memory, usually for use by a single job Software * Partition (database), the division of a ...

of the

British Indian Empire The British Raj (; from Hindi language, Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Q ...

by the United Kingdom in 1947, Pakistan emerged as a Muslim-dominated state. The turbulent nature of its emergence critically influenced the scientific development of Pakistan. The establishment of the

Council of Scientific and Industrial Research The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (IAST: ''vaigyanik tathā audyogik anusandhāna pariṣada''), abbreviated as CSIR, was established by the Government of India in September 1942 as an autonomous body that has emerged as the l ...

(PCSIR) in 1951 began Pakistan's research on physical sciences. In 1953, U.S. President

Dwight Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...

announced the

Atoms for Peace "Atoms for Peace" was the title of a speech delivered by U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower to the UN General Assembly in New York City on December 8, 1953. The United States then launched an "Atoms for Peace" program that supplied equipment ...

program, of which Pakistan became its earliest partner. Research at PAEC initially followed a strict non-weapon policy issued by then-

Foreign Minister A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between cou ...

Sir

Zafarullah Khan Chaudhry Sir Muhammad Zafarullah Khan ( ur, ‎; 6 February 1893 – 1 September 1985) was a Pakistani jurist and diplomat who served as the first Foreign Minister of Pakistan. After serving as foreign minister he continued his international ...

. In 1955, the Government of Pakistan established a committee of scientists to prepare

nuclear energy Nuclear energy may refer to: *Nuclear power, the use of sustained nuclear fission or nuclear fusion to generate heat and electricity * Nuclear binding energy, the energy needed to fuse or split a nucleus of an atom *Nuclear potential energy ...

plans and build an industrial nuclear infrastructure throughout the country. As the Energy Council Act went into full effect, Prime Minister Huseyn Suhrawardy established the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) in March 1956. Its first chair was Nazir Ahmad – an

experimental physicist Experimental physics is the category of disciplines and sub-disciplines in the field of physics that are concerned with the observation of physical phenomena and experiments. Methods vary from discipline to discipline, from simple experiments and o ...

. Other members of the PAEC included Technical member

Salimuzzaman Siddiqui Salimuzzaman Siddiqui, ( ur, ; 19 October 1897 – 14 April 1994) was a Pakistani Muhajir organic chemist specialising in natural products, and a professor of chemistry at the University of Karachi. Siddiqui studied philosophy at Aligarh Mus ...

, an

organic chemist Organic chemistry is a subdiscipline within chemistry involving the scientific study of the structure, properties, and reactions of organic compounds and organic materials, i.e., matter in its various forms that contain carbon atoms.Clayden, J. ...

at the

University of Karachi The University of Karachi ( sd, ; informally Karachi University, KU, or UoK) is a public research university located in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Established in June 1951 by an act of Parliament and as a successor to the University of Sindh (wh ...

, and Raziuddin Siddiqui, a

mathematical physicist Mathematical physics refers to the development of mathematical methods for application to problems in physics. The ''Journal of Mathematical Physics'' defines the field as "the application of mathematics to problems in physics and the developmen ...

at the same university. Together, they both took charge of the research and development directorates of the commission. In 1958,

Abdus Salam Mohammad Abdus Salam Salam adopted the forename "Mohammad" in 1974 in response to the anti-Ahmadiyya decrees in Pakistan, similarly he grew his beard. (; ; 29 January 192621 November 1996) was a Punjabi Pakistani theoretical physicist and a ...

of the

University of the Punjab The University of the Punjab (Urdu, pnb, ), also referred to as Punjab University, is a public, research, coeducational higher education institution located in Lahore, Pakistan. Punjab University is the oldest public university in Pakistan. ...

also joined the commission, along with

Munir Ahmad Khan Munir Ahmad Khan ( ur, ; 20 May 1926 – 22 April 1999), , was a Pakistani nuclear reactor physicist who is credited, among others, with being the "father of the atomic bomb program" of Pakistan for their leading role in developing their nati ...

who initially lobbied for acquiring an

open pool reactor NC State's PULSTAR Reactor is a 1 MW pool-type research reactor with 4% enriched, pin-type fuel consisting of UO2 pellets in zircaloy cladding.image:Pulstar1.jpg, The control room of North Carolina State University, NC State's Pulstar Nuclear R ...

from the United States. In 1958, PAEC Chairman Nazir Ahmad proposed to the

Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC) ( ur, ) is a state corporation of Pakistan working under Ministry of Industries and Production. It was established in 1952. PIDC was created to set up industries in such fields where large cap ...

the building of a heavy water production facility with the capacity to produce 50 kg of heavy water per day at

Multan Multan (; ) is a city in Punjab, Pakistan, on the bank of the Chenab River. Multan is Pakistan's seventh largest city as per the 2017 census, and the major cultural, religious and economic centre of southern Punjab. Multan is one of the List ...

, but this proposal was not acted on. In 1960, I. H. Usmani was elevated as PAEC's second chair with the transfer of Nazir Ahmad at the

Federal Bureau of Statistics usman The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics ( ur, , abbreviated as PBS) is a federal agency under the Government of Pakistan commissioned the national statistical services and to provide solid and comprehensive statistical research. Results co ...

. The

Multan Heavy Water Production Facility The Multan Heavy Water Production Facility is a small heavy water production plant, located in Multan, Punjab, Pakistan, with an original annual capacity of 13 metric tons. Equipment for the plant was partly obtained from Belgium in 1980. Offic ...

reactor was built in 1962, financed by local fertilizer companies. In 1964, PAEC established its first research institute, the

Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology The Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science & Technology (PINSTECH) ( ur, ) is a federally funded multiprogram science and technology research institute managed for the Ministry of Energy by the Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Scie ...

(PINSTECH), at

Nilore Nilore ( ur, ) is a townsite-city in the Islamabad Capital Territory of Pakistan, located and established in the district limit of Islamabad. The city is located in the vicinity of Islamabad, and controlled under the Capital Territory Police (C ...

, and began negotiation for Pakistan's first commercial nuclear power plant to be built in

Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...

. In 1965, the PAEC reached an agreement with

Canadian General Electric GE Canada (or General Electric Canada) is the wholly-owned Canadian unit of General Electric, manufacturing various consumer and industrial electrical products all over Canada. GE Canada was preceded by the company Canadian General Electric (CG ...

to build a

CANDU reactor The CANDU (Canada Deuterium Uranium) is a Canadian pressurized heavy-water reactor design used to generate electric power. The acronym refers to its deuterium oxide ( heavy water) moderator and its use of (originally, natural) uranium fuel. C ...

in Karachi. Financial investment for the

Karachi Nuclear Power Plant The Karachi Nuclear Power Plant (or KANUPP) is a large commercial nuclear power plant located at the Paradise Point in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Officially known as Karachi Nuclear Power Complex, the power generation site is composed of three ...

was provided by the Economic Coordination Committee, and

Edward Durell Stone Edward Durell Stone (March 9, 1902 – August 6, 1978) was an American architect known for the formal, highly decorative buildings he designed in the 1950s and 1960s. His works include the Museum of Modern Art, in New York City, the Museo de A ...

was commissioned to oversee the architectural design of PINSTECH. From 1965–71, the PAEC sent 600 scientists abroad for training in nuclear sciences. in 1969, the

United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority is a UK government research organisation responsible for the development of fusion energy. It is an executive non-departmental public body of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy ...

, agreed to supply a small scale

nuclear reprocessing Nuclear reprocessing is the chemical separation of fission products and actinides from spent nuclear fuel. Originally, reprocessing was used solely to extract plutonium for producing nuclear weapons. With commercialization of nuclear power, the ...

plant, with the capacity to extract 360 grams of

plutonium Plutonium is a radioactive chemical element with the symbol Pu and atomic number 94. It is an actinide metal of silvery-gray appearance that tarnishes when exposed to air, and forms a dull coating when oxidized. The element normally exhibi ...

per year. In 1973, the PAEC announced the discovery of large uranium deposits in

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...

. After India's decisive victory in the

Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a military confrontation between India and Pakistan that occurred during the Bangladesh Liberation War in East Pakistan from 3 December 1971 until the Pakistani capitulation in Dhaka on 16 Decem ...

, Pakistan retracted its non-weapon policy and the research and development of

began in 1972. PAEC's senior

nuclear engineer Nuclear engineering is the branch of engineering concerned with the application of breaking down atomic nuclei ( fission) or of combining atomic nuclei (fusion), or with the application of other sub-atomic processes based on the principles of n ...

, was named as PAEC's third chair by Prime Minister

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Zulfikar (or Zulfiqar) Ali Bhutto ( ur, , sd, ذوالفقار علي ڀٽو; 5 January 1928 – 4 April 1979), also known as Quaid-e-Awam ("the People's Leader"), was a Pakistani barrister, politician and statesman who served as the fourth ...

. Work began on development of the

nuclear fuel cycle The nuclear fuel cycle, also called nuclear fuel chain, is the progression of nuclear fuel through a series of differing stages. It consists of steps in the ''front end'', which are the preparation of the fuel, steps in the ''service period'' in w ...

infrastructure, and nuclear weapons research in the 1970s. Key research took place at PINSTECH, where scientists worked on weapon designs and eventual

nuclear weapons testing Nuclear weapons tests are experiments carried out to determine nuclear weapons' effectiveness, Nuclear weapon yield, yield, and explosive capability. Testing nuclear weapons offers practical information about how the weapons function, how detona ...

. The PAEC expanded the crash program with various laboratories, facilities, and directorates researching on developing and testing materials and components for bomb designs, whilst it engineered plants and funded facilities for production of

highly enriched uranium Enriched uranium is a type of uranium in which the percent composition of uranium-235 (written 235U) has been increased through the process of isotope separation. Naturally occurring uranium is composed of three major isotopes: uranium-238 (238U ...

(HEU) and plutonium. In 1976, possible test sites were decided by the PAEC and construction on the sites was completed in 1979. In 1983, PAEC's efforts reached a milestone when it conducted its first subcritical test on a weapon design; such testing continued until the early 1990s under codename:

Kirana-I The Kirana Hills is a small and extensive rocky mountain range located in Rabwah and Sargodha, Pakistan. It is also a place of tourist attraction in Sargodha City. Locally known as "Black Mountains" due to its brownish landscape, its highest pe ...

. Following nuclear tests by India earlier in the month, on 28 May 1998, PAEC led the final preparations and conducted Pakistan's first

nuclear tests Nuclear weapons tests are experiments carried out to determine nuclear weapons' effectiveness, yield, and explosive capability. Testing nuclear weapons offers practical information about how the weapons function, how detonations are affected by ...

(Codename:

Chagai-I Chagai-I is the code name of five simultaneous underground nuclear tests conducted by Pakistan at 15:15 hrs PKT on 28 May 1998. The tests were performed at Ras Koh Hills in the Chagai District of Balochistan Province. Chagai-I was Pakistan' ...

), which was followed by

Chagai-II Chagai-II is the codename assigned to the second atomic test conducted by Pakistan, carried out on 30 May 1998 in the Kharan Desert in Balochistan Province of Pakistan. ''Chagai-II'' took place two days after Pakistan's first successful test, ...

Kharan Desert The Kharan Desert ( ur, صحرائے خاران) is a sandy and mountainous desert situated in Balochistan province in south-western Pakistan.The desert covers an area of about 36,000 square kilometers, making it one of the largest deserts in ...

on 30 May 1998. In 2001, the PAEC's research was focused back onto civilian and peaceful research with the establishment of the National Command Authority and the

Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority The Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authorityپاکستان نیوکلیئر ریگولیٹری اتھارٹى; (PNRA), is mandated by the Government of Pakistan to regulate the use of nuclear energy, radioactive sources and ionizing radiation. The mi ...

Research and education

Since its establishment in 1956, the PAEC has provided a conspicuous example of the benefits of

atomic age The Atomic Age, also known as the Atomic Era, is the period of history following the detonation of the first nuclear weapon, The Gadget at the ''Trinity'' test in New Mexico, on July 16, 1945, during World War II. Although nuclear chain reaction ...

technologies for the advancement of agriculture, engineering, biology, and medicine. In 1960, the PAEC established its first

centre for cancer treatment at the

Jinnah Medical College Jinnah Medical College Peshawar, Pakistan ( ur, , ps, د جناح طب پوهنځی) was established in 2002. It was recognized by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council on 16 January 2009. It is affiliated with Khyber Medical University, Peshaw ...

of the

; the second Medical Isotope Institute was established at the

Mayo Hospital Mayo Hospital is one of the oldest and biggest hospitals in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. King Edward Medical University, one of the oldest and most prestigious medical institutions in South Asia, is attached to Mayo Hospital. Mayo Hospital is locat ...

of the

King Edward Medical University, Lahore King Edward Medical University (KEMU) () is a public medical university located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Founded in 1860, the university is named after King Edward VII. Established by the British Raj, named as Lahore Medical School. In 1868 ...

. Physicians and medical researchers were provided with facilities for cancer diagnosis and treatment by the PAEC's funding. In 1960, the PAEC established its regional atomic research centre in

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...

, and a metallurgy centre in Karachi in 1963. Another energy centre was located in

Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city ...

where many scientists were educated. In 1967, the PAEC founded the Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences which became one of the primary technical universities of the country. Many of the PAEC's scientists and engineers served in its faculty. The PAEC supports its university-level physics program at the Government College University, Lahore where it awards fellowships to the students. The PAEC continues to promotes its program as "peaceful uses of atomic energy commenced for the benefit the scientific community as well as public." About its promotion of education, senior scientist,

Ishfaq Ahmad Ishfaq Ahmad Khan (3 November 1930 – 18 January 2018) , was a Pakistani nuclear physicist, emeritus professor of high-energy physics at the National Centre for Physics, and former science advisor to the Government of Pakistan. A versatile ...

quoted: "the PAEC was responsible to send more than 600 scientists to the abroad. As of present, PAEC maintains its prestigious image, and is now noted as one of the largest science and technology institution of the country. The PAEC supports research activities and learning programs at the

International Centre for Theoretical Physics The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) is an international research institute for physical and mathematical sciences that operates under a tripartite agreement between the Italian Government, United Nations Educatio ...

(ICTP), of which PAEC is also its organizer. Since 1974, the PAEC has been a key organizer and sponsor of the

International Nathiagali Summer College on Physics and Contemporary Needs The International Nathiagali Summer College on Physics and Contemporary Needs (INSC), was founded by Nobel laureate in Physics Dr. Abdus Salam (then-Science Advisor to the Prime minister) to promote physics and scientific research activities in P ...

conference each year where scientists from all over the world are delegated to the country. The Summer College disseminates the knowledge of advancements in physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy, mathematics, computer science, logic, and philosophy. As the emphasis shifted towards concerns for

national security National security, or national defence, is the security and defence of a sovereign state, including its citizens, economy, and institutions, which is regarded as a duty of government. Originally conceived as protection against military atta ...

interests, the PAEC's important projects were also initiated in this area. Many notable scientists with international prestige have worked and affiliated with the PAEC.

Studies on expansion of nuclear power

PAEC is held responsible for design preparation and proper operational function of Pakistan's commercial nuclear power plants. The PAEC provides lobbying at the governmental level for the safe usage of nuclear power sources; though the nuclear safety regulations, Protection of the nuclear power facilities is managed by the

(PNRA). Providing policy guidance to the government, PAEC's studies envision setting up power plants with a capacity of approximately 8800

Megawatt The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of Power (physics), power or radiant flux in the International System of Units, International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantification (science), ...

s by 2030. Under this policy, the

KANUPP The Karachi Nuclear Power Plant (or KANUPP) is a large commercial nuclear power plant located at the Paradise Point in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Officially known as Karachi Nuclear Power Complex, the power generation site is composed of three ...

power plants and CHASHNUPP power plants are expanding and under construction as of 2013.

Constituent institutions

Nuclear Institute for Food and Agriculture The Nuclear Institute for Food and Agriculture, known as NIFA, () is one of four agriculture and food irradiation research institute managed by the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission. The institute is tasked to carry out research in Crop productio ...

* Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology *

National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering or NIBGE () is one of the main biotechnology institutes operated by Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC). It was planned under the auspices of PAEC in 1987 and was formally inaugurat ...

National Agricultural Research Centre National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) ( ur, ) is a research institution of the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) based in Islamabad, Pakistan. It works in collaboration with Ministry of National Food Security and Research whi ...

Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Oncology and Radiotherapy The Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Oncology and Radiotherapy ( ur, , or INOR) is located inside premises of Ayub Teaching Hospital Abbottabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The facility is one of 18 cancer hospitals operated by the Pakistan Ato ...

National Centre for Physics The Abdus Salam Centre for Physics , () Previously known as Riazuddin Centre for Physics. is a federally-funded research institute and national laboratory site managed by the Quaid-i-Azam University for the Ministry of Energy (MoE) of the Gover ...

* National Institute of Lasers and Optronics (NILOP) *

Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences The Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS), () is a public research university located in Islamabad, Pakistan. The university is modelled on international standards with a strong focus on the scientific advancement of the ...

(PIEAS) * Center for Nuclear Medicine and Radiotherapy (CENAR) *

Nuclear Medicine, Oncology and Radiotherapy Institute Nuclear Medicine, Oncology and Radiotherapy Institute (NORI) is the 7th Cancer hospital and research centre; established by Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) in 1983 at Islamabad, adjacent to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS ...

(NORI)

PAEC partnership with CERN

Pakistan has a long history of participating in experiments and research undertakings with

CERN The European Organization for Nuclear Research, known as CERN (; ; ), is an intergovernmental organization that operates the largest particle physics laboratory in the world. Established in 1954, it is based in a northwestern suburb of Gene ...

, and has a long tradition of physicists who are working around the world. Since the 1960s, Pakistan has been contributing and regularly participating in CERN's projects, theoretical and nuclear experiments. A prime example would be

; Salam was the first man to be accredited with all the collaboration with CERN which when he convinced them to give Pakistan stacks of

nuclear emulsion A nuclear emulsion plate is a type of particle detector first used in nuclear and particle physics experiments in the early decades of the 20th century. https://cds.cern.ch/record/1728791/files/vol6-issue5-p083-e.pdf''The Study of Elementary Partic ...

s exposed for further study of

pions In particle physics, a pion (or a pi meson, denoted with the Greek letter pi: ) is any of three subatomic particles: , , and . Each pion consists of a quark and an antiquark and is therefore a meson. Pions are the lightest mesons and, more gene ...

kaons KAON (Karlsruhe ontology) is an ontology infrastructure developed by the University of Karlsruhe and the Research Center for Information Technologies in Karlsruhe. Its first incarnation was developed in 2002 and supported an enhanced version of ...

and

antiprotons The antiproton, , (pronounced ''p-bar'') is the antiparticle of the proton. Antiprotons are stable, but they are typically short-lived, since any collision with a proton will cause both particles to be annihilated in a burst of energy. The exis ...

in the 1960s. 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, specialising 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). In 2005, CERN awarded PAEC with the ATLAS Supplier Award in 2005, in connection with manufacturing and fabrication of various equipment for CERN. On 27 June 2011, PAEC and CERN reached an agreement for extending the technical cooperation with CERN's upcoming programmes. CERN's Director-General

Rolf-Dieter Heuer Rolf-Dieter Heuer (; born 24 May 1948 in Bad Boll, Boll) is a German particle physics, particle physicist. From 2009 to 2015 he was List of Directors General of CERN, Director General of CERN and from 5 April 2016 to 9 April 2018 President of the ...

personally paid a visit to Pakistan where he spoke of the importance of

science in Pakistan Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...

, and the importance of Germany's strategic alliance with Pakistan. The agreement was signed in order to extend an earlier agreement, which came into operation in 2003 between CERN and Pakistan for the supply of manufactured equipment for the

Large Hadron Collider The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is the world's largest and highest-energy particle collider. It was built by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) between 1998 and 2008 in collaboration with over 10,000 scientists and hundred ...

(LHC) at CERN, along with placement of scientists and engineers from Pakistan to assist in the scientific programme at CERN. With the efforts led by the PAEC, CERN made Pakistan an associate member, on 22 June 2014— the first Asian country and the second Muslim country after

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

PAEC contribution to Compact Muon Solenoid

In 1997 PAEC chairman

reached out to CERN to sign a contract between them after elaborate discussions an in-kind contribution worth one million Swiss francs for the construction of eight magnet supports for the

Compact Muon Solenoid The Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment is one of two large general-purpose particle physics detectors built on the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN in Switzerland and France. The goal of the CMS experiment is to investigate a wide range ...

(CMS) detector. For the CMS, the PAEC built magnetic feet and installed 320 Resistive Plate Chambers (RPC), as well as contributing to CMS computing. Several other mechanical components for ATLAS and for the LHC were also built by the PAEC. It was PAEC's efforts that led the

(PINSTECH) with CERN's direct cooperation in the area of radioprotection.

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 A muon ( ; from the Greek letter mu (μ) used to represent it) is an elementary particle similar to the electron, with an electric charge of −1 '' e'' and a spin of , but with a much greater mass. It is classified as a lepton. As wi ...

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. In 2006 PAEC and CERN agreed on expanded cooperation, including contributions by PAEC valued at 5 million Swiss francs.

World's largest particle accelerator at CERN

The PAEC, partnered with Pakistan's leading universities, sent a large team of scientists and engineers to

to participate in the

on 10 September 2008. According to the news sources, the team of Pakistani scientists were keenly involved in the development of the Large Hadron Collider— the world's largest and highest-energy

. The data of the experiment was available for the Pakistani scientists who would examine the data and results would be accumulated afterwards by them.

PAEC chairs

Awards

On June 26, 2021, 4 scientists of the PAEC were awarded the Team Achievement Award and another scientist was awarded the Young Scientist Award for work in plant mutation breeding and related technologies. These awards were bestowed in recognition of Pakistan's advancements in the application of nuclear technology for achieving the U.N.

Sustainable Development Goals The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or Global Goals are a collection of 17 interlinked objectives designed to serve as a "shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future".United Nations (2017) R ...

. The awards were jointly awarded by the

International Atomic Energy Agency The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an intergovernmental organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. It was established in 1957 ...

(IAEA) and the U.N.'s

Food and Agriculture Organization The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)french: link=no, Organisation des Nations unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture; it, Organizzazione delle Nazioni Unite per l'Alimentazione e l'Agricoltura is an intern ...

Corporate management

The PAEC is chaired by the person appointed by the

Government of Pakistan The Government of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=hakúmat-e pákistán) abbreviated as GoP, is a federal government established by the Constitution of Pakistan as a constituted governing authority of the Administrative units of Pakistan, four provin ...

as the governmental notification is released. The PAEC's corporate management is organized by the Government of Pakistan who awarded contracts to the potential candidates. Its full-time members consist of the appointed Chair; a finance member; and two technical members. Its part-time members are composed of the senior scientists and a chief scientific adviser to the government. *Full Time Ex-officios ** Chairman— Chair (or

CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

) of the PAEC. ** Finance Member— A

civil servant The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...

from the

Ministry of Finance A ministry of finance is a part of the government in most countries that is responsible for matters related to the finance. Lists of current ministries of finance Named "Ministry" * Ministry of Finance (Afghanistan) * Ministry of Finance and Ec ...

(MoF). **Technical members— one from

Pakistan Engineering Council The Pakistan Engineering Council (Urdu: ; acronym: PEC) is a professional body for accreditation of engineering education and regulation of engineering profession in Pakistan. It was established on 10 January 1976 by the Parliament under th ...

(PEC) and one from

Pakistan Administrative Service The Pakistan Administrative Service, or PAS ( ur, ) (previously known as the District Management Group or DMG before 1 June 2012) is an elite cadre of the Civil Services of Pakistan. The Pakistan Administrative Service over the years has emerg ...

. **Disaster Recovery members— one from PMS and one from

Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences ( ur, , abbreviated as PIMS) is a research oriented health sciences institute located in Islamabad, Pakistan. It is one of the region's leading tertiary level hospitals which includes 22 medical and ...

. *Part-Time Ex-officios **Senior scientist— A scientist in the services of the

Ministry of Science A Science Ministry or Department of Science is a ministry or other government agency charged with science. The ministry is often headed by a Minister for Science. List of Ministries of Science Many countries have a Ministry of Science or Ministry ...

(MoST). **Senior Engineer—An engineer in the services of the

. **Science Adviser to the Government of Pakistan. The PAEC's corporate team are constitutionally bound to meet not less than four times every year for the execution of development projects involving

stations and the generation of

electric power Electric power is the rate at which electrical energy is transferred by an electric circuit. The SI unit of power is the watt, one joule per second. Standard prefixes apply to watts as with other SI units: thousands, millions and billions o ...

. Muhammad Naeem is the current chairman of the PAEC, appointed to the office since 2015. The PAEC retains its autonomous corporate management and comes under the structure of the National Command Authority. The amendments carried out in 2010, the National Command Authority is now placed again under the

. The Chairman directly reports to the Prime Minister's Secretariat for its policy making and confirmation issues.

References

External links

Official websitePakistan's contribution to the Large Hadron Collider (LHC)
{{Authority control Nuclear power in Pakistan Nuclear technology in Pakistan Pakistan federal departments and agencies Science and technology in Pakistan Project-706 Nuclear weapons programme of Pakistan Nuclear organizations Governmental nuclear organizations 1956 establishments in Pakistan Government agencies established in 1956 Institutes associated with CERN

Overview

Early history

Research and education

Studies on expansion of nuclear power

Constituent institutions

PAEC partnership with CERN

PAEC contribution to Compact Muon Solenoid

PAEC support to Large Hadron Collider

World's largest particle accelerator at CERN

PAEC chairs

Awards

Corporate management

See also

References

External links