Sultan Bashiruddin Mahmood - Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission

Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission

In 1970, Mahmood came back to Pakistan where he joined PAEC. Before joining Pakistan's nuclear energy programme, Mahmood was trained at the Nuclear Engineering Division of the Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology (PINSTECH). He was a distinguished member of Nuclear Physics Group (NPG) at PINSTECH, where he along with Dr. Samar Mubarakmand, Hafeez Qureshi and Dr. Naeem Ahmad Khan, studied and researched in the field of Nuclear Technology. During his master studies, Mehmood had read scientific reports of the "Manhattan Project" while receiving his training at the Birmingham University, where he also had an opportunity to discuss enrichment technology with scientists from South Africa, who were then exploring the jet-nozzel aerodynamic process of enrichment. During this time, South Africa was clandestinely building its nuclear programme, and South-Africa was in favour to use the aerodynamic nozzle enrichment techniques to produce weapons-grade material. As Mahmood was also interested in the process, a discussion was held on how to advanced this process and make more effective in order to make better efficient weaponised-fuel, suitable for the nuclear device.

He specialised in reactor technology from United Kingdom when he was offered post-graduate research by the Manchester University, and did extensive research at British Nuclear Power Industry. In 1970, Mahmood was promoted as Chief Engineer (CE) at the KANUPP-I, country's first commercial nuclear power plant, in Karachi with the support of his mentor, Dr. Naeem Ahmad Khan. Mehmood working in the KANUPP-I where he had developed a scientific instrument, the SBM probe to detect leaks in steam pipes, a problem that was affecting nuclear plants all over the world and is still used worldwide. At KANUPP-I, he also set up a laboratory to manufacture spare parts for the plant. According to his son, Mehmood, along with other scientists and engineers, eye-witnessed the Indo-Pak War of 1971, and had locked himself in his room where he cried for two days over the loss of East Pakistan.

He was one of the atomic scientists who attended the famous Multan meeting in 1972 where he has privileged to meet personally with Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. He was a close colleague of PAEC chairman Munir Ahmad Khan, and was one of the key atomic scientists who were working at the Kahuta Project, a highly confidential programme. The uranium route, the second route for the atomic bomb, was inducted under his guidance. While working on the uranium route, Mehmood took different approaches for the enriched uranium. After examining diffusion, gas-centrifuge, jet-nozzel and laser enrichment processes, Bashiruddin advocated the centrifuge route, as it was faster and economical. He then prepared a report for the development of a centrifuge enrichment plant that envisaged its completion by 1975. Within days a feasibility report was prepared and a project approval proforma called PC-1 finalised. Mehmood handed the report to Navy's Commander who submitted the report to Prime minister Secretariat. The project was to begin production in 1979. To maintain secrecy both the feasibility and the PC-1 were handwritten documents.

He is perhaps most famous for his part in the development of the Pakistan Nuclear Industry (PNI). In 1976, he joined hands with another nuclear scientist, Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan on the atomic weapon project, where he tried working on the centrifuge programme. Following 1974, after Dr. Qadeer Khan took over the uranium enrichment route from him as he was dissatisfied with Mehmood's progress. Now, back in PAEC, Mehmood went on sating up a pilot-uranium enrichment plant at PAEC. Mahmood built an extensive research infrastructure and laboratories at PAEC to produced its both LEU and HEU fuel. During 1980s, he was the project manager of the Khushab-I; he designed the plutonium based nuclear power plant, the Khushab Reactor, near Lahore, a heavy water reactor that produces plutonium and Tritium. After the reactor went critical in April 1998, Mahmood in an interview had said:"this reactor (which can produce enough plutonium for two to three nuclear weapons per year) Pakistan had "acquired the capability to produce . . . boosted thermonuclear weapons and hydrogen bombs."

Prior to 1991, he also designed and set up a nuclear fuel factory at the Punjab province. In 1996, he was promoted and subsequently became Director General of the Directorate for the Nuclear Power (DG NP). He held his position till 1999 until he resignation from PAEC. In 1998, following the country's nuclear tests (See Chagai-I and Chagai-II), Mehmood was awarded the civilian decoration, the Sitara-e-Imtiaz, in a colourful ceremony by the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif.