12-16-2003, 12:49 AM
> > Special SAT Report
> > http://www.satribune.com/archives/dec30_ja.../P1_Chashma.htm
This is very serious news.
Hope someone in the Pentagon or State Department is waking up. 9/11 will be like a walk in the park if USA does not realise the potential risks of leaving an Islamic nuke in Pakistan. It was tough going locating Saddam, remember how much tougher it will be to locate this gang of nine Pakis. CIA will have a jolly good and LONG hunt.
Kalyanaraman
Many Others Ready to Abscond: Pathetic Conditions Revealed at Chinese-aided CHASNUPP Power Plant
Nine Nuclear Scientists Slip Out of Pakistan
Special SAT Report
KARACHI: At least nine senior Pakistani Nuclear Scientists have secretly absconded from Pakistan, the latest defection taking place as late as in July 2002, documents from Pakistan's nuclear power plant CHASNUPP, built with Chinese assistance at Chashma in central Pakistan, have revealed.
Eight of the nine absconders were "Senior Engineers" at CHASNUPP and one was an Assistant Engineer. Four of them belonged to the Operations Division of the power plant, two to the Mechanical Maintenance Division and one each to Electrical, Technical and Training Divisions. Many of them are CNS Fellows while others got their fellowship from Karachi Nuclear Power Plant, KANUPP. Six disappeared between February to October 2000, one in April 1997 and two in 2002.
The details about these defections were revealed in an innocent looking memo sent by the engineers of CHASNUPP to their higher authorities warning them that âmany moreâ nuclear scientists were "planning to runâ from the country because they were not getting a fair deal in Pakistan.
The Memo which gave a list of the nine absconders only speculated that these engineers had gone to USA, Canada or Australia but in fact they could have gone to any country as they left without permission or informing the authorities. Click to View List
There are some 250 nuclear engineers and scientists working at CHASNUPP. Most of them are unhappy with their salaries and other benefits and are thus looking for openings to leave the country quietly, as the Government of Pakistan would never allow them to go and work for some other country.
âThe working conditions of these nuclear scientists should be a cause for grave concern to everyone as unhappy engineers at nuclear facilities could mean troubles of all kinds,â a retired Pakistani nuclear scientist told South Asia Tribune in Karachi.
The situation is ripe for any country needing their services to offer them a reasonable package and most will quietly disappear, traveling on passports which would not reveal their qualifications or experience. Pakistani passports normally do not mention the specific field of employment and it is easy to get replacement passports or even to conceal the real identity.
The engineers were getting so restless that some of them decided to write a detailed Memo pointing out the main problems being faced by them at the remote facility. Copies of the Memo were made available to the SA Tribune in Karachi by some of the relatives of the unhappy employees. Click to View Memo (copy quality not good) Page1 | Page2
A look at the Memo reveals that these engineers are being kept in Chashma as if they were in a âdetention campâ because they are required to work 11 hours a day, seven days a week. âThey work Monday to Sunday from 7.30 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. and sometimes many of them are called for emergency duty,â a concerned relative said, handing over a copy of the Office Order issued late in September this year. It confirmed that every one was required to work for 77 hours a week. Click to View Office Order
They are not allowed to keep their families in Chashma and scientists who are below Grade-20 are not being allowed even telephone facilities, the Memo reveals. Almost 90 per cent of the engineers fall in grades lower than 20.
The Memo of the Engineers warns that taking such heavy duty at such a sensitive facility could result in a major catastrophe. âAs per IAEA, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) and CHASNUPP regulations, (authorities) are bound to implement the 40 hours limit ⦠Engineers are called for emergency duty and working hours easily touch 90 hours a week,â the Memo complains.
âDue to these extra abnormal working hours, the safety of the plant is in a dangerous position,â it warns reminding the authorities of the Chernobyl and Three-Mile Nuclear disasters in Soviet Union and USA.
There has been no immediate improvement in their working conditions, despite the Memo which shows that Pakistanâs nuclear manpower is now almost ready to disperse throughout the world, even to rogue nations needing their expertise.
The list of senior engineers who left the country for greener pastures mostly includes scientists who had at least two years of training from China and were highly qualified to run the power plant.
The cost of training such an engineer, as estimated by the CHASNUPP scientists themselves is Rs. 9 million per engineer in a 7 to 8 year period. Each person lost is a huge blow to the Pakistani nuclear establishment but working conditions and salaries are not being improved to keep them engaged.
For the rest of the world this is a scary situation as Pakistan could easily become the feeding ground for nuclear activities any where as Pakistani official wage structures are far less than any rich country with nuclear ambitions may offer, specially oil-rich states or organizations like Al Qaeda.
âThe scientists of CHASNUPP have sounded the warning bell for the Pakistani authorities. They have to look after this sensitive resource and not push it to the edge. Otherwise it could mean disaster for the country,â the retired nuclear scientist warned.
> > http://www.satribune.com/archives/dec30_ja.../P1_Chashma.htm
This is very serious news.
Hope someone in the Pentagon or State Department is waking up. 9/11 will be like a walk in the park if USA does not realise the potential risks of leaving an Islamic nuke in Pakistan. It was tough going locating Saddam, remember how much tougher it will be to locate this gang of nine Pakis. CIA will have a jolly good and LONG hunt.
Kalyanaraman
Many Others Ready to Abscond: Pathetic Conditions Revealed at Chinese-aided CHASNUPP Power Plant
Nine Nuclear Scientists Slip Out of Pakistan
Special SAT Report
KARACHI: At least nine senior Pakistani Nuclear Scientists have secretly absconded from Pakistan, the latest defection taking place as late as in July 2002, documents from Pakistan's nuclear power plant CHASNUPP, built with Chinese assistance at Chashma in central Pakistan, have revealed.
Eight of the nine absconders were "Senior Engineers" at CHASNUPP and one was an Assistant Engineer. Four of them belonged to the Operations Division of the power plant, two to the Mechanical Maintenance Division and one each to Electrical, Technical and Training Divisions. Many of them are CNS Fellows while others got their fellowship from Karachi Nuclear Power Plant, KANUPP. Six disappeared between February to October 2000, one in April 1997 and two in 2002.
The details about these defections were revealed in an innocent looking memo sent by the engineers of CHASNUPP to their higher authorities warning them that âmany moreâ nuclear scientists were "planning to runâ from the country because they were not getting a fair deal in Pakistan.
The Memo which gave a list of the nine absconders only speculated that these engineers had gone to USA, Canada or Australia but in fact they could have gone to any country as they left without permission or informing the authorities. Click to View List
There are some 250 nuclear engineers and scientists working at CHASNUPP. Most of them are unhappy with their salaries and other benefits and are thus looking for openings to leave the country quietly, as the Government of Pakistan would never allow them to go and work for some other country.
âThe working conditions of these nuclear scientists should be a cause for grave concern to everyone as unhappy engineers at nuclear facilities could mean troubles of all kinds,â a retired Pakistani nuclear scientist told South Asia Tribune in Karachi.
The situation is ripe for any country needing their services to offer them a reasonable package and most will quietly disappear, traveling on passports which would not reveal their qualifications or experience. Pakistani passports normally do not mention the specific field of employment and it is easy to get replacement passports or even to conceal the real identity.
The engineers were getting so restless that some of them decided to write a detailed Memo pointing out the main problems being faced by them at the remote facility. Copies of the Memo were made available to the SA Tribune in Karachi by some of the relatives of the unhappy employees. Click to View Memo (copy quality not good) Page1 | Page2
A look at the Memo reveals that these engineers are being kept in Chashma as if they were in a âdetention campâ because they are required to work 11 hours a day, seven days a week. âThey work Monday to Sunday from 7.30 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. and sometimes many of them are called for emergency duty,â a concerned relative said, handing over a copy of the Office Order issued late in September this year. It confirmed that every one was required to work for 77 hours a week. Click to View Office Order
They are not allowed to keep their families in Chashma and scientists who are below Grade-20 are not being allowed even telephone facilities, the Memo reveals. Almost 90 per cent of the engineers fall in grades lower than 20.
The Memo of the Engineers warns that taking such heavy duty at such a sensitive facility could result in a major catastrophe. âAs per IAEA, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) and CHASNUPP regulations, (authorities) are bound to implement the 40 hours limit ⦠Engineers are called for emergency duty and working hours easily touch 90 hours a week,â the Memo complains.
âDue to these extra abnormal working hours, the safety of the plant is in a dangerous position,â it warns reminding the authorities of the Chernobyl and Three-Mile Nuclear disasters in Soviet Union and USA.
There has been no immediate improvement in their working conditions, despite the Memo which shows that Pakistanâs nuclear manpower is now almost ready to disperse throughout the world, even to rogue nations needing their expertise.
The list of senior engineers who left the country for greener pastures mostly includes scientists who had at least two years of training from China and were highly qualified to run the power plant.
The cost of training such an engineer, as estimated by the CHASNUPP scientists themselves is Rs. 9 million per engineer in a 7 to 8 year period. Each person lost is a huge blow to the Pakistani nuclear establishment but working conditions and salaries are not being improved to keep them engaged.
For the rest of the world this is a scary situation as Pakistan could easily become the feeding ground for nuclear activities any where as Pakistani official wage structures are far less than any rich country with nuclear ambitions may offer, specially oil-rich states or organizations like Al Qaeda.
âThe scientists of CHASNUPP have sounded the warning bell for the Pakistani authorities. They have to look after this sensitive resource and not push it to the edge. Otherwise it could mean disaster for the country,â the retired nuclear scientist warned.