Pakistan's most widely circulated English language newspaper, the Dawn, recently reported through its internet edition that the country's plan for establishing another nuclear power plant in Karachi would soon be placed before the government. The Dawn in its Nov. 30 edition reported that the Chairman of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) reiterated the need to set up new nuclear power plant.

Talking to media men after attending the 13th convocation at the NED University of Engineering and Technology, the PAEC Chairman, Pervez Butt, said that in view of the power needs of Karachi, the Commission had decided to set up its fourth nuclear power plant at Karachi, named as K-2, adding that initial surveys and documentation had been finalized in that regard.

He informed that a PC-1 for the plant with a capacity of 600 MWe would be forwarded shortly for the government's approval. 'The Planning Commission of Pakistan is working these days to find ways and means for generating more electricity in the country, and PAEC was endeavoring for incorporating nuclear power plants in the related policy documents as viable energy sources,' he informed.

Informing that the PAEC planned to construct more nuclear power plants, Mr Butt said that these were safer modes of energy generation, with the inherited advantages of being environmental friendly and cost-effective. Earlier, in his convocation address too, the PAEC Chairman mentioned that the PAEC was generating electricity, which was not only clean, but safe as well. He added that there would be local input in the development of the new power plant.