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Advertisement - ISLAMABAD, Nov 03 (APP): Participants of the 27th National Security Workshop (NSW), organized by the National Defence University (NDU), visited the Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology (PINSTECH), a premier research and development establishment of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), where they were briefed on the Commission’s peaceful nuclear initiatives and national contributions. Member (Science) PAEC, Dr. Shakeel Abbas Rofi, welcomed the visiting delegation comprising over 100 guests, including 95 participants of the workshop. He gave a comprehensive briefing on PAEC’s achievements in energy, agriculture, health, and scientific research. Highlighting the Commission’s success, Dr. Rofi said PAEC’s progress rests on three pillars — strict adherence to merit and financial integrity, ensuring the right person for the right job, and consistent government support. He noted that PAEC has maintained an unblemished record of safely operating all nuclear power plants in the country. The first such facility, Karachi Nuclear Power Plant (KANUPP), served the nation for five decades and is now being decommissioned. He informed the delegation that six nuclear power plants — four at Chashma (C-1 to C-4) and two at Karachi (K-2 and K-3) — are currently operational, collectively supplying 3,530 MW of cost-effective, carbon-free electricity to the national grid. Work is also under way on a seventh plant (C-5) at Chashma, with a capacity of 1,200 MW. Discussing PAEC’s agricultural research, Dr. Rofi said its four research centres including NIAB, NIBGE, NIA, and NIFA have developed 164 high-yielding, climate-resilient crop varieties, contributing billions to Pakistan’s economy. He also highlighted PAEC’s expanding role in healthcare, noting that 20 Atomic Energy Cancer Hospitals (AECHs) provide diagnostic and treatment services to over one million patients annually, covering nearly 80 percent of Pakistan’s cancer burden. The 21st AECH, the first in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, will soon be inaugurated in Muzaffarabad. The Member (Science) also elaborated on PAEC’s production of radio-pharmaceuticals and isotopes, which are supplied to both PAEC hospitals and other medical institutions across Pakistan. Addressing the delegation, Dr. Naseem Irfan, Rector of the Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS), briefed participants on PIEAS’s transformation from a small Reactor School into a leading national institution in science and engineering. He shared that PIEAS recently commissioned a High-Performance Computing (HPC) facility with a capacity of 300 TFLOPS, funded by the Higher Education Commission (HEC), and open to major universities across Pakistan to support advanced scientific research. Dr. Irfan noted that nearly 100 PIEAS alumni have received national civil awards, and many, including the current Chairman PAEC Dr. Raja Ali Raza Anwar, have led strategic organisations of the country. Later, the participants watched a documentary showcasing PAEC’s peaceful nuclear programme and its multifaceted contributions to national development. They commended PAEC’s role in advancing Pakistan’s socio-economic growth through science, technology, and innovation. It is noteworthy that the National Security Workshop is an annual flagship programme organized by the Institute for Strategic Studies, Research and Analysis (ISSRA) at NDU. The 27th edition, running from October 27-November 28 brings together policymakers, parliamentarians, bureaucrats, military officers, academics, and business leaders to discuss pressing national security, regional stability, and economic development issues.
