A nation’s progress, development and success rests on those individual citizens who go out of their way to create moments that history records, the world takes note of and the nation takes pride in.
Dr. Samar Mubarakmand, a nuclear scientist from Pakistan, may not be the only one who led the country’s nuclear program, but he was certainly part of the team that pressed the nuclear testing button to take Pakistan to new heights in world status, dignity and triumph.
In an exclusive interview with Nasir Jawed of Arab News, the top-notch Pakistani scientist unveiled his new priorities, including his coal gasification project, which would have solved Pakistan’s energy crisis over the next 500 years had it not been for the current leadership’s shortsightedness and petty politics.
Here is the text of the interview:
Why did you go for the nuclear test?
I was not among the policymakers who took this decision. I was only 33 when I joined the project in 1976. When I look back, I find that the achievement of developing nuclear capability was worth undertaking because this was done entirely within the country. Our own people were involved and very little money was spent on this project as compared to other nations.
Only two or three defense budgets have been utilized out of a total of 60 or so defense budgets since Pakistan’s inception. The positive aspect of “nuclearization” lies in the fact that there was always a lack of military balance between India and Pakistan.
In conventional warfare, we were no match to India. Now, India wouldn't dare to do what it did in 1971. When it comes to nuclear capability, there is no number game. With even a few warheads, you maintain the balance of power.
For instance, the Kargil warfare could have flared to a full-fledged war in 1999. The Indian government had massed 800,000 troops along the border for 10 months following the attack on the Indian Parliament two years later in 2001. Following the 2008 Mumbai attacks, India planned to attack certain targets within Pakistan. Instead, things have changed. The two countries are coming closer. Instead of hyped tension, there are trade, cultural and diplomatic exchanges and free movement between the nations has increased.
You mean to say that the weaponization program has resulted in positive changes and helped the countries come closer?
Yes. It has led the countries to think of increased bilateral relations and helped decrease tensions.
What about its safety and the charges alleging that Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan sold the technology to Libya and Iran?
The nuclear plant is in safe hands and there is no danger to it. Rumormongers have their own self-interest in spreading such canards. If the technology was indeed transferred to other countries, why haven't they become a nuclear state by now?
But after Pakistan acquired the deterrent device, why did it continue increasing its defense budget instead of attending to more pressing issues?
In dollar terms, our defense budget is where it was 10 years ago. In fact, it has been reduced by 4-5 percent. We also haven't purchased any weapons or entered into any arms deal with other countries.
Before coming back to your current project, we would like to know what are your suggestions for Saudi Arabia as a scientist?
The Kingdom has huge mineral reserves. Besides economic diversification, it should diversify in natural resources exploration. The country is abundant in sunshine, wind and minerals that if exploited could give the country a new leverage in the world as we know that world is currently driven by energy. I, however, appreciate that the Saudi government has undertaken certain projects recently like harnessing solar energy which is good and which shows the acumen of the current leadership.
Your new project on exploring minerals — particularly coal — to mitigate the energy crisis in the country, is widely termed as the light at the end of the tunnel, has the project been shelved due to lack of funding?
In 2008, during my stint as a member of the Planning Commission, I found that there are 175 billion tons of ignite coal lying beneath the Thar desert, which could not be mined due to water consistently seeping inside the coal reserves from the Arabian Sea. I then planned to go for the process of coal gasification following intense research, which is being conducted in no less than 50 countries including Australia, South Africa, Russia, China and America.
Why coal gasification?
The major benefit of coal gasification lies in its ability to produce different forms of energy and create useful by-products such as electricity, diesel, petrol, fertilizers, plastics etc. This is a very cheap method and provides an instant solution to the power crisis.
Where has this all led to? What is the status of the project today?
I have developed 36 gas wells and ignited two for demonstration, which was successful. We had to purchase electricity plants to produce power energy from this gas. Despite assurance, we have yet to receive the required funds.
Why does the leadership repeatedly fail the nation?
This is self-evident. The Planning Commission prepares the development budget and the political leaders ruin these budgets for their petty political gains and for the sake of dirty-vote politics. The country is facing load-shedding, but leaders have their own political priorities that overtake those of national significance.
A survey says that the youth of Pakistan want Shariah or military rule instead of democracy. What is the future of democracy in your country?
Military rule is no solution and I see a bright future for democracy in our country. Democratic institutions are gaining strength and both the media and judiciary are now more powerful than ever and are playing a very active role in society. In addition, the army is now more mature, the Election Commission (EC) has become very strict with corrupt politicians and is filtering them out to make the next Parliament better and more transparent. What's more, this EC is being fully backed by the Supreme Court. I am hopeful that even if the coming election may not culminate in ideal leadership, it will definitely produce a better one.
Is the drone strikes inside Pakistan an attack on your sovereignty or does it enjoy tacit support from your government?
It is not an attack on our sovereignty. We had allowed the US to launch drones from bases in Baluchistan, but they vacated a year ago when drones killed our soldiers.
What about your relations with Afghanistan?
The Afghans are very difficult to deal with. Though we have good relations, they can be aggressive. Now, they have the support of America and hence the government is pursuing a policy pleasing to the US. If any crisis befalls Afghanistan, our country bears the major brunt of it. We have four million refugees from Afghanistan and other countries.
When you can give shelter to four million refugees, then why not call back your own compatriots living as refugees in Bangladesh since 1971?
This is very easy to say, but difficult to execute. Where are the resources to rehabilitate them? This is a problem created by India and so India should provide us with the resources for their rehabilitation in Pakistan.
