02-01-2004, 07:41 PM
<b>Nuclear Scientific Community of Pakistan: Clear and Present Danger to Nonproliferation </b>
Dr. Rajesh Kumar Mishra
Recent revelations of support to North Korean uranium enrichment programme and the connections of some of the scientists with Al Qaeda appear to confirm that Pakistan is developing into one of the most dangerous proliferant countries in the world. The nuclear scientific community plays a pivotal role in it. Right at the top, Dr. A.Q. Khan to several other scientists who were involved in the nuclear development programme of Pakistan, remain suspects. More than a dozen scientists in Pakistan can be called as nuclear proliferation agents.
Including a list of suspected scientists in Pakistan, this paper is an effort to draw attention of the international community on the existing alleged rogue nuclear scientific community in Pakistan and their potential involvement in proliferation of weapons of mass destruction worldwide at different state and non-state levels.
For comprehensive understanding, this paper may be read in continuation with a few earlier papers of the same author on Pakistanâs nuclear development complex- (i) Pakistan as a proliferator state: Blame it on Dr. A.Q. Khan (http://www.saag.org/papers6/paper567.html); (ii) âNuclear Safety and Security in Pakistan: Under the shades of terrorismâ (http://www.saag.org/papers6/paper520.html); and, (iii) âNuclear Pakistan: Implications for National and International securityâ (http://www.saag.org/papers5/paper429.html).
Pakistan today is not only the epicenter of international terrorist network but it is also placed in the world as the hub of the international proliferator nuclear scientist network.
The possible fallout may be spread of knowledge, technology, design, material or development of wide range of nuclear devices for both the non-state and state actors worldwide. Given an opportunity, international terrorist networks like Al Qaeda might have hardy lost any stone unturned to acquire technical know-how of radiological dispersal bomb or dirty bomb. Whether Al Qaeda had got it or not, by now it is widely accepted that Al Qaeda has had the motivation for acquisition of nuclear weapons terror strike capability. Countries like North Korea, have been immensely benefited from the Pakistani scientists.
Proliferation: wanted list in Pakistan
Pakistani President and officials of the government at various levels have repeatedly denied any suspected association of scientists from Pakistan with the outside entities. But, the fact remains that the key scientific personnel of Pakistan have lost credibility and their integrity is at stake. Media and intelligence sources indicate following names as frontrunners in the murky deeds, though not all, have as yet not been exposed!
<b>1. Dr. Abdul.Qadeer Khan: </b>
The most revered nuclear scientist in Pakistan remains the most suspected rogue scientist in Pakistan. He has illegal linkages with nuclear aspirants throughout the world. His stature is so elevated and protected by the Pakistani government that he has been epitomized as larger than the ânuclear imageâ of Pakistan. Anything said or done against the scientist is supposed to be anti-Pakistan, anti-Islam and so non-tolerable. But, no doubt, the recent media and intelligence expose suffice evidence for Dr. Khanâs pivotal role in proliferations emerging from Pakistan.
"If the international community had a proliferation most-wanted list, A Q Khan would be the 'most-wanted' on the list," Robert Einhorn, former assistant secretary of state for non-proliferation in the Clinton administration was so quoted in The News. (The News, Sunday Weekly, Special Report, January 19, 2003)
Dr. A.Q. Khan, the so called father of Pakistan's nuclear bomb, who is alleged to have stolen the design and engineering plans for gas centrifuges from Netherlands, has visited many Islamic and non-Islamic countries. Dr. Khanâs interaction with the scientists of Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq and Libya and his reported visits to North Korea and Iran have brazenly violated the norms of the nonproliferation regimes.
<b>2. Dr. Bashiruddin Mehmood:</b>
It is now known that the Pakistani nuclear scientist, Sultan Bashiruddin Mahmood, who was arrested on October 23, 2001, had held extensive meetings in August 2001 with Osama bin Laden, one of his top lieutenant Al Zawahiri, and two other Al Qaeda officials in the Afghan capital of Kabul. Including former military officers Brig (rtd.) Mohammad Hanif, foundationâs finance director and Commodore (rtd.) Arshad Ali Chaudhary, vice president of the foundation many other associates of Dr. Mahmood in his suspected charitable foundation âUmmah Tameer-e-Nauâ or " Islamic Reconstruction " can be said to be the conduits to the scientistâs alleged connection with Al Qaeda.
Dr. Mahmood had also several meetings with Mohammad Omar, head of the ousted Taleban government, during his visit to Kandahar in mid-summer of 2001.
He has been quoted saying in public that Pakistan should help other Islamic nations build nuclear bombs. He also had admired the fundamentalist regime of Taleban militia.
Sultan Bashiruddin Mahmood is popularly known in Pakistani scientific circles as SBM and a staunch believer in Islamic science. In 1986, he founded the Holy Koran Research Foundation to explore the intersection between Islam and science.
Pakistani officials have maintained that the scientists did not pass important secrets to Al Qaeda, but they have no proper explanation to the fact that Mahmood failed multiple polygraph examinations about his activities.
Dr. Mahmood has experience in both uranium enrichment and plutonium production. The Scientist is said to be a significant contributor to Khushab nuclear reactor, mainstay of Pakistanâs weapon grade Plutonium. During interrogation, in an interview to The News he had said that he could never stay before the (lie-detecting) machine beyond a few minutes because of his age and health!
By early 1990s, he was a key figure in Pakistanâs nuclear weapons programme. He headed the Kahuta uranium enrichment plant in the early 1990s and was given charge of the Khushab reactor, in 1998. He worked there till his resignation in 1999.
<b>3. Chaudhary Abdul Majid:</b>
Abdul Majid has worked in Afghanistan along with Dr. Bashiruddin Mahmood. He worked till 1999 as Chief Engineer in PAEC.
<b>4. Dr. Mirza Yusuf Baig:</b>
A former scientist of PAEC, Mirza Yusuf Baig is a close associate of Dr. Bashiruddin Mahmood. The scientistâs alleged connection with mastermind of Al Qaeda has not yet been cleared.
<b>5. Mohammad Nasim:</b>
Mohammad Nasim had co-authored Bashiruddin in 1999 to an article in opposing Pakistanâs probable stance on signing CTBT. It is not yet clear whether he was interrogated for his association with Dr. Bashiruddin.
<b>6. Humayun Niaz:</b>
Humayun Niaz is a former PAEC personnel and has allegedly tried to explore the occurrence of uranium and plutonium in Afghanistan.
<b>7. Sheikh Mohammed Tufail:</b>
Sheikh Mohammed Tufail is the owner of one of Pakistanâs leading engineering companies and, also, one of the directors of Dr. Mahmoodâs charitable foundation, âIslamic Reconstructionâ.
<b>8. Dr. Muhammd Ali Mukhtar:</b>
Dr. Mukhtar is Ph.D in nuclear physics and has served in Khusab and Islamabad offices of PAEC. He is said to have joined PAEC in early 1980s. This Scientist is a weapon expert. He was allowed to slip out of Pakistan to Myanmar along with Dr. Suleiman Asad fearing interrogation by American agencies. The duo are said to have participated in an unspecified âresearch programmeâ in Myanmar. Before leaving to Myanmar, the scientist had been working in Khan Research Laboratories in the department dealing with defence production. The scientist is said to have connections with Al Qaeda.
<b>9. Dr. Suleiman Asad:</b>
To escape the interrogation regarding his linkage with Al Qaeda, with the support of Musharraf government Dr. Asad along with Dr. Ali Mukhtar had flown to Sagaing division of Myanmar. Dr. Asad is a weapon expert.
IT IS NOT YET OVER:
Between 1997 to 2002, nine scientists are said to have left Pakistan for unknown destinations as listed in an internal memo of Chasma Nuclear Power Plant (CHASNUPP) as âabscondersâ. This further adds to the worry of international community of the fear of falling of nuclear know-how into wrong hands. Wherever they are they could easily fall prey to shady middlemen and money launderers working for both the state and non-state actors internationally. It all depends on the price one will be willing to get for transferring classified information and sensitive technologies. They are:
1. Muhammad Zubair, worked as Asst. Engineer, CNS Fellow, in Electrical Division, absconding from April 1997,
2. Murad Qasim, worked as Senior Engineer, KINPOE (KANNUP Institute of Nuclear Power Engineering) fellow, in Mechanical Division, Maintenance, absconding from February 2000,
3. Tariq Mahmood, worked as Senior Engineer, CNS Fellow, in Operation Division, absent from May 2000,
4. Saeed Akhther, working as Senior Engineer, CNS Fellow, in Training Division, absconding from June 2000,
5. Imtaz Baig, worked as Senior Engineer, KINPOE Fellow, of Operation Division not available since July 2000,
6. Waheed Nasir, had been working as Senior Engineer, KINPOE Fellow, in Mechanical Division, absconded from August 2000,
7. Munawar Ismail, employed as Senior Engineer, CNS fellow, in Technical Division absconding from October 2000,
8. Shaheen Fareed, had been working as Senior Engineer, CNS fellow, of Operation Division, not available since February 2002 and,
9. Khalid Mahmood, worked as Senior Engineer, in Operation Division, absconded from July 2002.
Why Pakistani nuclear scientists are proliferants personified?
Media and intelligence reports reveal illegal involvement of Pakistani scientists in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Scientists in Pakistan are inclined for performing unlawful services for primarily three main reasons.
First, there exists a close nexus of Islamic fundamentalist identities in between scientific community, military and the government agencies- both political and intelligence. The shared feeling for the development and spread of Islamic bomb, has its bearing on the scientists who have actively participated in the development of nuclear weapons in Pakistan as their âreligious dutyâ. The scientists are motivated to indulge into illegal practices in the name of national religion i.e. Islam. Pakistani scientists whose credentials are verifiable for alleged hobnobbing with other Islamic countries fall in this group. Infiltration of extremist ideologies into this group raises vulnerability. Radical Islamist scientists of such nature are identifiable for possible connection with the âJehadisâ too.
Second, Pakistani government institutions oversee and support the scientists whose services are employed in furtherance of Islamabadâs interest internationally. Pakistani scientists who are alleged to have been involved in the nuclear development programmes of the frequently referred âaxis of evilâ states, Iran-North Korea and Iraq, fall in this category.
Also, the third, desire for getting more financial rewards can be said as great impetus for the scientists to cross the essentially required moral conduct limits. Scientists of both the above mentioned group may or may not belong to this category, but in an atmosphere of state sponsored evils, there must emerge a few outlawed scientists who dare to be disloyal to institutional affiliation in terms of self-interest. This section of scientists is most dangerous for any non-proliferation regime or for any international coalition to fight against nuclear terrorism.
In a nutshell, Pakistan as a state actor not only sponsors scientists in covert activities but also harbours rogue scientific elements in the country.
The Challenges ahead:
* Pakistani nuclear weapons programme has a long history of illicit procurements and deliberate deceptions that involved many scientific personnel too. The heroic accreditations as attached to Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, despite international condemnations, remains a dream objective of many fellow scientists in Pakistan.
* Therefore, in a state sponsored illegal nourishing environment like one in Pakistan, chances are always high of commissions and omissions by the Pakistani scientists. But for the long-term security and safety of international community, this practice needs to be monitored and checked. Consolidated international efforts are required to make Pakistan a responsible state actor.
* The whereabouts of the absconding Scientists should be checked and they should be interrogated for possible connections.
* Verification and control regimes of nonproliferation should review the policy approach towards this problem. Pakistanâs scientific community is already excessively influenced by the ideology of developing âIslamic bombâ. Close monitoring is required over the movement and activities of the brains that have worked in the Pakistanâs nuclear weapons development programmme.
* Periodic examination of credentials of the scientists working in different sensitive facilities in Pakistan may have to be undertaken.
* There should be an arrangement by which scientists with radical motivations could be dissuaded from indulging in unlawful activities. This is a responsibility of the state and a duty towards the international community.
* Sharing of information should be a priority for the nations who are committed to fight against the menace of terrorism in general and nuclear terrorism in particular. Mutual trust and diplomatic initiatives will add to its effectiveness.
* An international consensus could be evolved to crack down on the terrorist outfits worldwide, with the slightest indication for the possession of weapons of mass destruction capability in any form, without discrimination.
Dr. Rajesh Kumar Mishra
Recent revelations of support to North Korean uranium enrichment programme and the connections of some of the scientists with Al Qaeda appear to confirm that Pakistan is developing into one of the most dangerous proliferant countries in the world. The nuclear scientific community plays a pivotal role in it. Right at the top, Dr. A.Q. Khan to several other scientists who were involved in the nuclear development programme of Pakistan, remain suspects. More than a dozen scientists in Pakistan can be called as nuclear proliferation agents.
Including a list of suspected scientists in Pakistan, this paper is an effort to draw attention of the international community on the existing alleged rogue nuclear scientific community in Pakistan and their potential involvement in proliferation of weapons of mass destruction worldwide at different state and non-state levels.
For comprehensive understanding, this paper may be read in continuation with a few earlier papers of the same author on Pakistanâs nuclear development complex- (i) Pakistan as a proliferator state: Blame it on Dr. A.Q. Khan (http://www.saag.org/papers6/paper567.html); (ii) âNuclear Safety and Security in Pakistan: Under the shades of terrorismâ (http://www.saag.org/papers6/paper520.html); and, (iii) âNuclear Pakistan: Implications for National and International securityâ (http://www.saag.org/papers5/paper429.html).
Pakistan today is not only the epicenter of international terrorist network but it is also placed in the world as the hub of the international proliferator nuclear scientist network.
The possible fallout may be spread of knowledge, technology, design, material or development of wide range of nuclear devices for both the non-state and state actors worldwide. Given an opportunity, international terrorist networks like Al Qaeda might have hardy lost any stone unturned to acquire technical know-how of radiological dispersal bomb or dirty bomb. Whether Al Qaeda had got it or not, by now it is widely accepted that Al Qaeda has had the motivation for acquisition of nuclear weapons terror strike capability. Countries like North Korea, have been immensely benefited from the Pakistani scientists.
Proliferation: wanted list in Pakistan
Pakistani President and officials of the government at various levels have repeatedly denied any suspected association of scientists from Pakistan with the outside entities. But, the fact remains that the key scientific personnel of Pakistan have lost credibility and their integrity is at stake. Media and intelligence sources indicate following names as frontrunners in the murky deeds, though not all, have as yet not been exposed!
<b>1. Dr. Abdul.Qadeer Khan: </b>
The most revered nuclear scientist in Pakistan remains the most suspected rogue scientist in Pakistan. He has illegal linkages with nuclear aspirants throughout the world. His stature is so elevated and protected by the Pakistani government that he has been epitomized as larger than the ânuclear imageâ of Pakistan. Anything said or done against the scientist is supposed to be anti-Pakistan, anti-Islam and so non-tolerable. But, no doubt, the recent media and intelligence expose suffice evidence for Dr. Khanâs pivotal role in proliferations emerging from Pakistan.
"If the international community had a proliferation most-wanted list, A Q Khan would be the 'most-wanted' on the list," Robert Einhorn, former assistant secretary of state for non-proliferation in the Clinton administration was so quoted in The News. (The News, Sunday Weekly, Special Report, January 19, 2003)
Dr. A.Q. Khan, the so called father of Pakistan's nuclear bomb, who is alleged to have stolen the design and engineering plans for gas centrifuges from Netherlands, has visited many Islamic and non-Islamic countries. Dr. Khanâs interaction with the scientists of Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq and Libya and his reported visits to North Korea and Iran have brazenly violated the norms of the nonproliferation regimes.
<b>2. Dr. Bashiruddin Mehmood:</b>
It is now known that the Pakistani nuclear scientist, Sultan Bashiruddin Mahmood, who was arrested on October 23, 2001, had held extensive meetings in August 2001 with Osama bin Laden, one of his top lieutenant Al Zawahiri, and two other Al Qaeda officials in the Afghan capital of Kabul. Including former military officers Brig (rtd.) Mohammad Hanif, foundationâs finance director and Commodore (rtd.) Arshad Ali Chaudhary, vice president of the foundation many other associates of Dr. Mahmood in his suspected charitable foundation âUmmah Tameer-e-Nauâ or " Islamic Reconstruction " can be said to be the conduits to the scientistâs alleged connection with Al Qaeda.
Dr. Mahmood had also several meetings with Mohammad Omar, head of the ousted Taleban government, during his visit to Kandahar in mid-summer of 2001.
He has been quoted saying in public that Pakistan should help other Islamic nations build nuclear bombs. He also had admired the fundamentalist regime of Taleban militia.
Sultan Bashiruddin Mahmood is popularly known in Pakistani scientific circles as SBM and a staunch believer in Islamic science. In 1986, he founded the Holy Koran Research Foundation to explore the intersection between Islam and science.
Pakistani officials have maintained that the scientists did not pass important secrets to Al Qaeda, but they have no proper explanation to the fact that Mahmood failed multiple polygraph examinations about his activities.
Dr. Mahmood has experience in both uranium enrichment and plutonium production. The Scientist is said to be a significant contributor to Khushab nuclear reactor, mainstay of Pakistanâs weapon grade Plutonium. During interrogation, in an interview to The News he had said that he could never stay before the (lie-detecting) machine beyond a few minutes because of his age and health!
By early 1990s, he was a key figure in Pakistanâs nuclear weapons programme. He headed the Kahuta uranium enrichment plant in the early 1990s and was given charge of the Khushab reactor, in 1998. He worked there till his resignation in 1999.
<b>3. Chaudhary Abdul Majid:</b>
Abdul Majid has worked in Afghanistan along with Dr. Bashiruddin Mahmood. He worked till 1999 as Chief Engineer in PAEC.
<b>4. Dr. Mirza Yusuf Baig:</b>
A former scientist of PAEC, Mirza Yusuf Baig is a close associate of Dr. Bashiruddin Mahmood. The scientistâs alleged connection with mastermind of Al Qaeda has not yet been cleared.
<b>5. Mohammad Nasim:</b>
Mohammad Nasim had co-authored Bashiruddin in 1999 to an article in opposing Pakistanâs probable stance on signing CTBT. It is not yet clear whether he was interrogated for his association with Dr. Bashiruddin.
<b>6. Humayun Niaz:</b>
Humayun Niaz is a former PAEC personnel and has allegedly tried to explore the occurrence of uranium and plutonium in Afghanistan.
<b>7. Sheikh Mohammed Tufail:</b>
Sheikh Mohammed Tufail is the owner of one of Pakistanâs leading engineering companies and, also, one of the directors of Dr. Mahmoodâs charitable foundation, âIslamic Reconstructionâ.
<b>8. Dr. Muhammd Ali Mukhtar:</b>
Dr. Mukhtar is Ph.D in nuclear physics and has served in Khusab and Islamabad offices of PAEC. He is said to have joined PAEC in early 1980s. This Scientist is a weapon expert. He was allowed to slip out of Pakistan to Myanmar along with Dr. Suleiman Asad fearing interrogation by American agencies. The duo are said to have participated in an unspecified âresearch programmeâ in Myanmar. Before leaving to Myanmar, the scientist had been working in Khan Research Laboratories in the department dealing with defence production. The scientist is said to have connections with Al Qaeda.
<b>9. Dr. Suleiman Asad:</b>
To escape the interrogation regarding his linkage with Al Qaeda, with the support of Musharraf government Dr. Asad along with Dr. Ali Mukhtar had flown to Sagaing division of Myanmar. Dr. Asad is a weapon expert.
IT IS NOT YET OVER:
Between 1997 to 2002, nine scientists are said to have left Pakistan for unknown destinations as listed in an internal memo of Chasma Nuclear Power Plant (CHASNUPP) as âabscondersâ. This further adds to the worry of international community of the fear of falling of nuclear know-how into wrong hands. Wherever they are they could easily fall prey to shady middlemen and money launderers working for both the state and non-state actors internationally. It all depends on the price one will be willing to get for transferring classified information and sensitive technologies. They are:
1. Muhammad Zubair, worked as Asst. Engineer, CNS Fellow, in Electrical Division, absconding from April 1997,
2. Murad Qasim, worked as Senior Engineer, KINPOE (KANNUP Institute of Nuclear Power Engineering) fellow, in Mechanical Division, Maintenance, absconding from February 2000,
3. Tariq Mahmood, worked as Senior Engineer, CNS Fellow, in Operation Division, absent from May 2000,
4. Saeed Akhther, working as Senior Engineer, CNS Fellow, in Training Division, absconding from June 2000,
5. Imtaz Baig, worked as Senior Engineer, KINPOE Fellow, of Operation Division not available since July 2000,
6. Waheed Nasir, had been working as Senior Engineer, KINPOE Fellow, in Mechanical Division, absconded from August 2000,
7. Munawar Ismail, employed as Senior Engineer, CNS fellow, in Technical Division absconding from October 2000,
8. Shaheen Fareed, had been working as Senior Engineer, CNS fellow, of Operation Division, not available since February 2002 and,
9. Khalid Mahmood, worked as Senior Engineer, in Operation Division, absconded from July 2002.
Why Pakistani nuclear scientists are proliferants personified?
Media and intelligence reports reveal illegal involvement of Pakistani scientists in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Scientists in Pakistan are inclined for performing unlawful services for primarily three main reasons.
First, there exists a close nexus of Islamic fundamentalist identities in between scientific community, military and the government agencies- both political and intelligence. The shared feeling for the development and spread of Islamic bomb, has its bearing on the scientists who have actively participated in the development of nuclear weapons in Pakistan as their âreligious dutyâ. The scientists are motivated to indulge into illegal practices in the name of national religion i.e. Islam. Pakistani scientists whose credentials are verifiable for alleged hobnobbing with other Islamic countries fall in this group. Infiltration of extremist ideologies into this group raises vulnerability. Radical Islamist scientists of such nature are identifiable for possible connection with the âJehadisâ too.
Second, Pakistani government institutions oversee and support the scientists whose services are employed in furtherance of Islamabadâs interest internationally. Pakistani scientists who are alleged to have been involved in the nuclear development programmes of the frequently referred âaxis of evilâ states, Iran-North Korea and Iraq, fall in this category.
Also, the third, desire for getting more financial rewards can be said as great impetus for the scientists to cross the essentially required moral conduct limits. Scientists of both the above mentioned group may or may not belong to this category, but in an atmosphere of state sponsored evils, there must emerge a few outlawed scientists who dare to be disloyal to institutional affiliation in terms of self-interest. This section of scientists is most dangerous for any non-proliferation regime or for any international coalition to fight against nuclear terrorism.
In a nutshell, Pakistan as a state actor not only sponsors scientists in covert activities but also harbours rogue scientific elements in the country.
The Challenges ahead:
* Pakistani nuclear weapons programme has a long history of illicit procurements and deliberate deceptions that involved many scientific personnel too. The heroic accreditations as attached to Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, despite international condemnations, remains a dream objective of many fellow scientists in Pakistan.
* Therefore, in a state sponsored illegal nourishing environment like one in Pakistan, chances are always high of commissions and omissions by the Pakistani scientists. But for the long-term security and safety of international community, this practice needs to be monitored and checked. Consolidated international efforts are required to make Pakistan a responsible state actor.
* The whereabouts of the absconding Scientists should be checked and they should be interrogated for possible connections.
* Verification and control regimes of nonproliferation should review the policy approach towards this problem. Pakistanâs scientific community is already excessively influenced by the ideology of developing âIslamic bombâ. Close monitoring is required over the movement and activities of the brains that have worked in the Pakistanâs nuclear weapons development programmme.
* Periodic examination of credentials of the scientists working in different sensitive facilities in Pakistan may have to be undertaken.
* There should be an arrangement by which scientists with radical motivations could be dissuaded from indulging in unlawful activities. This is a responsibility of the state and a duty towards the international community.
* Sharing of information should be a priority for the nations who are committed to fight against the menace of terrorism in general and nuclear terrorism in particular. Mutual trust and diplomatic initiatives will add to its effectiveness.
* An international consensus could be evolved to crack down on the terrorist outfits worldwide, with the slightest indication for the possession of weapons of mass destruction capability in any form, without discrimination.