Пәкістанның Ұлттық Атом Энергия Комиссиясы

Pakistani governmental agency

Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) (Urdu: ماموریہ جوہری توانائی پاکستان) is a federally funded independent governmental agency, concerned with research and development of nuclear power, promotion of nuclear science, energy conservation and the peaceful usage of nuclear technology. 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 and on nuclear medicine radiation therapy for cancer 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 (CERN), where Pakistani scientists have contributed to developing particle accelerators and research on high energy physics. 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, development of nuclear weapons, and their testing. These functions were eventually taken over by the Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA), and the National Command Authority under the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

Following the partition of the British Indian Empire by the United Kingdom in 1947, Pakistan emerged as a Muslim dominated state. The establishment of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) in 1951 began Pakistan's research on physical sciences. In 1953, U. S. President Dwight Eisenhower announced the Atoms for Peace program, of which Pakistan became its earliest partner. Research at PAEC initially followed a strict non weapon policy issued by then Foreign Minister Sir Zafarullah Khan. As the Energy Council Act went into full effect, Prime Minister Huseyn Suhrawardy established the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) in March 1956. In 1964, PAEC established its first research institute, the Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology (PINSTECH), at Nilore, and began negotiation for Pakistan's first commercial nuclear power plant to be built in Karachi. Work began on development of the nuclear fuel cycle 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. 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 (Codename: Chagai I), which was followed by Chagai II in Kharan Desert 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.

Since its establishment in 1956, the PAEC has provided a conspicuous example of the benefits of atomic age technologies for the advancement of agriculture, engineering, biology, and medicine. In 1960, the PAEC established its first nuclear medicine centre for cancer treatment at the Jinnah Medical College of the University of Karachi; the second Medical Isotope Institute was established at the Mayo Hospital of the King Edward Medical University, Lahore. Physicians and medical researchers were provided with facilities for cancer diagnosis and treatment by the PAEC's funding. Another energy centre was located in Dhaka where many scientists were educated. About its promotion of education, senior scientist, Ishfaq Ahmad quoted: "the PAEC was responsible to send more than 600 scientists to the abroad. The PAEC supports research activities and learning programs at the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (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 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. Under this policy, the KANUPP power plants and CHASHNUPP power plants are expanding and under construction as of 2013.

Pakistan has a long history of participating in experiments and research undertakings with CERN, 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. Some theoretical physicists from Pakistan had the opportunity to work at CERN through short visits. CERN's Director General Rolf Dieter Heuer personally paid a visit to Pakistan where he spoke of the importance of science in Pakistan, 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 (LHC) at CERN, along with placement of scientists and engineers from Pakistan to assist in the scientific programme at CERN.

In 1997 PAEC chairman Ishfaq Ahmad 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 (CMS) detector. It was PAEC's efforts that led the Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology (PINSTECH) with CERN's direct cooperation in the area of radioprotection.

The PAEC, partnered with Pakistan's leading universities, sent a large team of scientists and engineers to CERN to participate in the Large Hadron Collider 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 particle accelerator.

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 awards were jointly awarded by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the U. N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization.

The PAEC is chaired by the person appointed by the Government of Pakistan 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. 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 Prime Minister of Pakistan. The Chairman directly reports to the Prime Minister's Secretariat for its policy making and confirmation issues. + Management Individual figures and authority Official designation Term mandateDr. Raja Ali Raza AnwerChairman, Pakistan Atomic Energy CommissionChairmanMr. Muhammad ArshadMember, PAECMember (Technical)Mr. Arshad Ali FarooqiMember, PAECMember (Fuel Cycle)Mr. Saeed Ur RehmanMember, PAECMember (Power)Mr. Khalid Bin SagheerMember, PAECMember (System)Mr. Shehzad HasanFinance Secretary, Ministry of Finance (Pakistan)Member (Finance)Dr. Masood IqbalMember, PAECMember (Science)Mr. Abrar AliMember, PAECMember (Engineering)Maj. Gen. (R) Mushtaq Ahmed FaisalMember, PAECMember (Administration)Mr. Syed Farman HussainMember, PAECMember (Material)