Reema Shaukat
With its headquarters in Vienna, Austria, International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA was established on 29 July 1957. It is an international organization which seeks and intends to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy while inhibiting use of nuclear weapons in any kind of military activity. Though IAEA is an autonomous organization and was established independently through UNO’s own treaty, yet it reports to both United Nations General Assembly and Security Council. Widely known as the world’s “Atoms for Peace” organization within the United Nations family, the IAEA is the international centre for cooperation in the nuclear field. The Agency works with its Member States and multiple partners worldwide to promote the safe, secure and peaceful use of nuclear technologies. Presently 170 countries hold IAEA membership. In a recently held 62nd IAEA General Conference in Vienna, important resolutions were adopted to further strengthen the IAEA’s work in nuclear science and technology, safety, security, safeguards and technical cooperation.
Earlier at the plenary meeting, delegates discussed the strengthening drafting and revising of nuclear safety regulations and heard the experiences of Belarus, Pakistan and Japan in developing safety regulations at nuclear power plants. At the end of the conference, eleven countries have been newly elected to serve on the 35-member IAEA Board of Governors for the period 2018-2020. Pakistan has achieved this honour to be part of Board of Governors of IAEA and Pakistan already in past has been elected 19 times to the board and has played a significant role in the formulation of the agency’s policies and programmes. Pakistan is a founding member of the IAEA and has enjoyed a mutually beneficial collaboration with the agency on peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Being elected a member of the IAEA’s board of governors is a major diplomatic achievement for Pakistan. The selection as member BoG represents global recognition of the country’s status as a responsible nuclear power state. In March, 2018 IAEA, Director General Yukiya Amano visited Pakistan and praised the arrangements made for the safety of nuclear power plants. He said that Pakistan is an experienced user of peaceful nuclear technology. They have the knowledge and the pool of well-trained people to do their job. IAEA and Pakistan, both have a fruitful two-way relationship.
Pakistan became the first Muslim nuclear power on 28 May, 1998 by detonating nuclear devices in the Chagii district, Baluchistan. Almost 24 years after the first detonation of Indian nuclear device, as a sequel and expected consequence of India’s 1998 nuclear tests, despite immense international pressure especially from the US, Pakistan was compelled to conduct at least six nuclear tests on May 28 and 30, 1998 in response to Indian grand scheme. Pakistan’s nuclear tests were widely criticized though Pakistan’s nuclear programme is part of its self defence against India. Pakistan always maintains a stance that Indian nuclear threat to its security can be assured through conventional means rather than hue and cry of external players in the region.
Pakistan’s nuclear weapons are widely criticized by overlooking Indo-US deals and Cold Start Doctrine. The low yield nuclear weapons are under sharp focus of US and west and often say that Pakistan’s nuclear arsenals are under high risk of theft, which surely is a wrong postulate. Another matter of concern for Western powers is the fact that Pakistan developed these weapons despite bearing the international sanctions after its 1998 nuclear tests. There is a belief that much of this technology has been attained from China, a channel which will be difficult to block unless Pakistan is brought into the nuclear mainstream. Therefore, in such a pressing environment the strategy of wider the conventional asymmetry, the lower the nuclear threshold would be the wise option for Pakistan to respond and deter India from crossing any of the threshold be it military, economic or domestic subversion. Pakistan has the required credentials that entitle it to become part of all multi-lateral export control regimes including the Nuclear Suppliers Group in which Pakistan strive for a non-discriminatory approach. Not a single nuclear radiation accident in Pakistan has occurred since it became nuclear and all its reactors are ensured under IAEA safeguards. Pakistan has always acted sensibly while avoiding arms race in region and India’s hostile intentions forced Pakistan to go for nuclear tests.
Indian hegemonic designs to be ultimate power in South Asian region by undermining Pakistan and China is known fact. Steering for arms race in region, India thinks that with US backing it will be able to become Asian super power but it is a mere dream which cannot come true. Pakistan has always stood out as an exemplary nation in world community proving itself a peaceful nuclear country. India in these past years failed to ascertain itself a safe nuclear state as there were five cases of nuclear theft reported in India over the past two decades. In 2013 guerrilla militants had stolen Uranium from the Army Complex, but the Indian army remained completely unaware of the incident. In April 2016, an independent US report by the Belfer Center at the Harvard Kennedy School declared the Indian nuclear program not only unsafe but also called for a reasonable watchdog. 26 Indian scientists mysteriously died over the past several years but their cause of death nor any concern by Indian governments were ever shown. Often, other monitoring agencies and research institutes have also raised questions on Indian nuclear program expansion and its safety and showed serious concerns as India failed to prove itself trustworthy nuclear country in previous years. Pakistan on the other hand maintains strong credentials as responsible nuclear country. Pakistan while maintaining balance of arms in region is pursuing safe use of nuclear technology. It is using new techniques for the research purposes and finding ways in improving cancer treatments, food security and development in energy sectors.
