Nuclear and at par

Nuclear accidents are very much a part of our reality today, as petrifying as they might be. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs boasts that its nuclear programme is world-class and commensurate with international standards. A brochure, supposedly available to the public on the ministry’s website, was handed out in this regard at the second Ministerial Nuclear Security Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna. While we laud that Pakistan’s nuclear programme has received some international adulation, especially by IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano, the publication seems to be more of a promotional endeavour than an informational release.

The security claims need to be corroborated and made more plausible with data, against the backdrop of recent world nuclear accidents as well as other preventable disasters in Pakistan due to a lack of safety measures, and especially considering the confounding factor of terrorist threats in the country. We need to request more evidence to build trust in the programme, rather than the usual blind patriotism and support the public affords towards it. It is skittish to brag about possessing nuclear power when our basic infrastructure does not account for basic safety measures and nor are our citizens made aware about the basics of safety, recalling a man in the recent proclaimed four-star Regent Plaza fire tragedy who tried to escape by taking the elevator down to the ground floor. When an advanced country like Japan can experience nuclear accidents like the March 2011 Fukushima accident, Pakistan, situated by the ocean, can face a similar catastrophe, especially recounting its loose safety measures and the people’s blatant disregard for human health and safety.

While we appreciate the past pioneering talent of Pakistani physicists, it is appropriate to have doubts in the leadership that is in control of — or at least has the clout to influence — the resulting projects of weapons of mass destruction; for starters, some of them have previously possessed fake degrees. The public may be reminded that the extent of destruction and death of such weapons ranges in the millions so when it comes to mass human safety, it is best to have a conservative perspective.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 9^th, 2016.

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