Thesis ID: CBB885985275

Inside the Nuclear Labyrinth: Science and Security in the Making of Contemporary Pakistan, 1947-1998 (2017)

unapi

This dissertation provides a comprehensive analysis of the origins and evolution of the Pakistani nuclear and space programs in the second half of the twentieth century. These five decades witnessed a revolution in the relationship between science, security, and the state in Pakistan, as enthusiasm for the transformative power of atomic energy and space exploration gave rise to determined efforts to develop nuclear weapons and missile technology. This transformation represented a significant threat to the global nuclear nonproliferation regime and regional stability in South Asia. As this dissertation demonstrates, however, this transformation also threatened leading Pakistani scientists' visions of their country's future. The development of nuclear weapons would ultimately have a profound impact on the lives of Pakistani scientists, the practice of science in Pakistan, and the relationship between Pakistan and the international scientific community. This dissertation reflects extensive archival research in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Austria, Russia, and Pakistan, as well as interviews conducted in Pakistan. Taken together, these materials allow for an in-depth examination of the origins and early development of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) and the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), a reassessment of the interplay between the Pakistani nuclear and space programs, and a reevaluation of the internal dynamics and consequences of nuclear development and nuclear proliferation in Pakistan.

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Citation URI
https://data.isiscb.org/isis/citation/CBB885985275/

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Authors & Contributors
Kevin Ruane
Hashmi, Zehra
Richter, Jennifer
Gavin, Francis J.
Zenzen, Joan M.
Unger, Corinna R.
Concepts
Science and politics
Nuclear weapons; atomic weapons
Science and government
Cold War
Technology and politics
Nuclear industry
Time Periods
20th century, late
21st century
20th century
Places
United States
Soviet Union
Great Britain
Pakistan
France
China
Institutions
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
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