Daily Times

Sir: It may be just a minor milestone for civil society to convince the Sindh High Court to order the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) to stop work on two nuclear power plants in Karachi till the case is settled. It is a long way to go as the case challenges a number of stakeholders. The civil society petitioners, who include a few renowned nuclear scientists as well, have raised some valid questions. For instance, why these nuclear plants known as K-2 and K-3 will be equipped with ACP-1000 type reactors, which have not been approved in the original design. They have also questioned the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report, prepared without inviting public participation and opinion, and that why this report was kept secret from the public for some ‘unknown’ reasons. Needless to point out, Karachi, a city of 21 million people, is in no way prepared to handle even a large-scale fire or moderate earthquake. A nuclear disaster such as the one that occurred in Chernobyl in the 1980s or in Japan a few years back, will be a dreadful nightmare for Karachittes.

MASOOD KHAN

Jubail,

Saudi Arabia