"Pak may have nukes based on Chinese design"

LONDON, May 27: Pakistan may have foregone a retaliatory atomic test in response to the Indian explosions because it may have a "nuclea...

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LONDON, May 27: Pakistan may have foregone a retaliatory atomic test in response to the Indian explosions because it may have a "nuclear arsenal which works" based on a Chinese design handed over to it in the 80s, says the Jane’s Intelligence weekly.

In its latest edition, the weekly said the reason for what it called "China’s extra-ordinary generosity" might have been Pakistani nuclear scientists sharing secrets of processes to enrich uranium to weapons grade using high-speed centrifuges.

The Chinese handed over the nuclear bomb design which it tested at the Lop Nor ranges in the southwestern part of the country in 1966 producing a yield equivalent to about 20,000 tonnes of conventional high explosive, it said.

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"In Pakistani hands, the Chinese design was changed so (that) it could be carried by an American-supplied F-16 fighter bomber, three squadrons of which were delivered before the Americans cut off supplies in 1990," Jane’s reported.

The help from Beijing is thought to haveextended to a test firing of the modified Pakistani design carried out in the late 80s during one of China’s series of tests.

The magazine said China is also said to have helped Pakistan build a research reactor which can produce small amounts of plutonium, a vital ingredient for hydrogen bombs.

"Pakistan has nuclear devices which can be quickly turned into bombs. The country’s scientists claim they need seven days’ notice and experts reckon Pakistan may have upto 30 bombs already," the prestigious defence weekly said.

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But the magazine as well as defence experts doubted whether Pakistan had acquired the capability of producing thermo-nuclear bombs which would give it the capacity of making nuclear warheads for its Ghauri and other surface-to-surface missiles.

Experts have been bewildered that almost two weeks into the Indian test, Pakistan has not yet been able to respond despite claims by its scientists and politicians of producing a nuclear bomb within days.

"By failing to respond to publicclamour for retaliatory nuclear test, it can be deduced that Pakistan is still wrestling with trigger devices and that its nuclear programme despite tall claims may still be in the exploratory stage," the experts said.

They pointed out that Islamabad may be facing the same problem as it has with the firing of its medium-range surface-to-surface missile Ghauri, "which did not go beyond 600 km, though it was claimed it has a range of 1,500 km."

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The weekly said in comparison to Pakistan’s "part acquired, part clandestine and part developed nuclear programme", India’s nuclear programme was far advanced and largely "home grown".

The recent nuclear tests conducted by India had confirmed that it had the design and capability of a warhead that could be fitted into missiles, the magazine said.

It predicted India, in the next stage, might go in for developing and deploying its intermediate range ballistic missile Agni by improving its range from 1,500 km to 2,500 km.

The weekly said India had enforced a`nuclear doctrine’ for its armed forces, which meant that though the nuclear warheads would be produced they would not be fitted on the missile until top level political clearance was received.