Project-706

Project 706
Active	1974–1983
Allegiance	Pakistan
Branch	Pakistan Army Corps of Engineers
Commanders
Notable commanders	General Rahimuddin Khan General Zahid Ali Akbar

The Project-706 was the codename of a project conducted during cold war and soviet afghan war to develop the first atomic bomb for Pakistan. The project was launched in response of India's surprise nuclear test, codenamed Smiling Buddha in 1974. The project was led by the Pakistan, and included scientists from the Libya and Europe. Formally designated as the Kahuta Project, it refers specifically to the period of the project from 1974–1983 under the control of former Prime Minister of Pakistan Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and later on Pakistan Army Corps of Engineers, under the administration of General Zahid Ali Akbar.

The project was initially launched by the Prime Minister Bhutto in 1974. The scientific research was directed by noted Pakistani engineers Munir Ahmad Khan and dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan. The Time (magazine) has called Project-706 as Pakistan's equivalent effort of the United States's Manhattan Project in 1940s. The project cost US$450 million which was approved by Bhutto in 1972. It resulted in the creation of multiple production and research sites that operated in secret. Project-706 maintained control over Pakistan's weapons production until the successful cold test of 1983.

History and Orgins

The history of Project-706 goes back to 1965 when Pakistani nuclear scientists and engineers were working at IAEA. In October, 1965, the then Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Mr. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto visited Vienna when Munir Ahmad Khan informed him of the status of India's nuclear program and the options Pakistan had to develop its own nuclear capability. Both agreed on the need for Pakistan to develop a nuclear deterrent to meet India's nuclear threat. Bhutto quickly arranged meeting with President Ayub Khan but President refused to start the nuclear program.

After Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 and Pakistan's humilated defeat. Pakistan began to concentrate to its nuclear program as Munir Ahmad Khan joined and became a head of PAEC. However, in 1972, the year after the war, ISI learned that India was close to developed the Atomic Bomb. Bhutto rallied a secret and famous Multan nuclear meeting where Project 706 was launched under Munir Ahmad Khan.

Research and Acceleration of Project

Munir A. Khan, who was an American-trained nuclear engineer, had studied and research in famous American nuclear research institute Argonne National Laboratory. Argonne National Laboratory was the focal point of U.S's Manhattan Project in 1940s. Khan carefully but quickly sat up the Project-706 as following American Manhattan Project's footstep. Munir A. Khan, along with dr. Ishfaq Ahmad, site selection of Kahuta in 1974. As Sultan Bashiruddin Mahmood became a project manager, the work on project accelerated. Sultan Bashiruddin Mahmood first sat up the Uranium-238 facility and the construction was began under his guidence.

During the december,8 of 1972, Nobel laureate in Physics Abdus Salam, who was closely watching and working in Project-706, called two Pakistani theoretical physicists, Riazuddin and Masud Ahmadworking at the ICTP, were asked to report to Munir Ahmad Khan. They formed the Theoretical Physics Group (TPG) in PAEC, which was mandated to develop the design of Pakistan's nuclear weapons.

External Link

• Project 706
• Time Magezine Who Has the Bomb
• Nuclear Pakistan