After its failed persuasion to seek the Nuke deal like India with the US, Pakistan resorted for a different route when it planned to seek the same though this time from a different source. China seems to come to Pakistan’s aid this time with its bid to set up10 new atomic power plants in the forthcoming two decades.

Sources claim that the approval of setting up the plants came when Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani gave its consent on September 19 meeting to construct two nuclear plants in Chashma at Punjab province with the support of Chinese province. The meeting was attended by the topmost officials of the Military and Strategic Plans Division. This body looks after the nation’s nuclear arsenal and plans to set up new nuclear power plants and also aims to acquire a satellite communications system.

The Chashma complex already has two atomic power plants though one is functional and the other will be in 2011. The setting up of two more nuclear power plants at this site will be known as C-3 and C-4 and will cost over 139bn rupees, including a foreign exchange component of 99.538bn rupees. This complex is located about 200 kilometre southwest of Islamabad. 

In the next 22 years, Pakistan seeks to come up with ten Nuclear Power Plants at six sites in the country which are Qadirabad-Bulloki link canal near Qadirabad Headworks, Dera Ghazi Khan Canal near Tuansa barrage, Taunsa-Punjnad canal near Multan, Nara canal near Sukkur, Pat feeder canal near Guddu and Kabul River near Nowshera.

During the forthcoming visit of the Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari to Beijing where the former plans to meet its Chinese counterpart, seeking of fuel technology for its projects will be one of the agendas. Generation of about 8,800 MW of nuclear energy in the next two decades is called for with this alliance.