Eating Grass The Making of The Pakistani Bomb

1947 - Independence of Pakistan

Pakistan's independence and the beginning of efforts to gain knowledge in new scientific fields.

September 1948 - Death of Muhammad Ali Jinnah

The passing of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan.

1948 - Ayub Khan in Dhaka

In 1950, Ayub Khan, as commander of the 14th Division in Dhaka (East Pakistan), witnessed Bengali dissatisfaction with Pakistan's policies.

Early 1950

Dr. Rafi Muhammad Chaudhry began building a particle accelerator at the university.

1951

Assassination of Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan.

February 1952

Start of the Bengali Language Movement after protesting students were killed outside Dhaka University.

April 1953

Governor-General Ghulam Muhammad dismissed Prime Minister Nazimuddin and replaced him with Muhammad Ali Bogra.

December 8, 1953

President Eisenhower presented the 'Atoms for Peace' plan at the United Nations General Assembly.

August 1954

The United States amended its Atomic Energy Act to allow the transfer of nuclear technology.

1955

Nazir Ahmad led the Pakistani delegation at the International Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy in Geneva.

1955

Pakistan decided to enhance its provisional nuclear activities by establishing a more formal Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) with Nazir Ahmad as its first chairman.

August 11, 1957

Pakistan and the United States signed an agreement to cooperate in the civilian and peaceful uses of atomic energy.

1957

PAEC established a small laboratory in Karachi for the initial training of scientists and engineers.

1958 - October Revolution

Ayub Khan seized power in the 'October Revolution', marking the start of a decade of stability and growth in Pakistan.

1959 - Radioactivity Discovery

PAEC discovered radioactivity in the Sulaiman Range in the DG Khan area.

1959 - Border Agreement Proposal

Pakistan's Foreign Minister, Manzur Qadir, proposed a border agreement with China.

1960

Ayub Khan appointed Ishrat Hussain Usmani as the head of PAEC. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto also assigned one of his ministerial duties to fuel, power, and natural resources, which included PAEC.

1961

SUPARCO (Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission) was initially established as the space science research branch of PAEC.

May 1962

Pakistan and China officially announced their intention to begin border negotiations in October.

October 1962

The war between India and China began.

1963

Drilling began in a hundred-kilometer belt in the areas of Rakhi, Baghalchur, and Rajanpur.

March 2, 1963

Bhutto signed a border agreement with China.

November 1963

The assassination of President Kennedy ended serious U.S. mediation between India and Pakistan over Kashmir.

1964

China conducted its first nuclear test at Lop Nur, sparking nuclear debates in India and Pakistan.

January 1964

The official establishment of KANUPP by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council.

May 24, 1965

Pakistan signed an agreement to build a CANDU reactor with General Electric Canada.

March 1965

Ayub Khan visited Beijing and Moscow.

April 1965

Armed clashes in the Rann of Kutch region between India and Pakistan.

July 24, 1965

Pakistan's infiltration into Indian-controlled Kashmir began in Operation Gibraltar.

September 2, 1965

Operation Grand Slam was launched by the Pakistani Army in Kashmir.

September 1965

The Second Kashmir War between India and Pakistan. The United States cut military aid to both countries.

September 22, 1965

Pakistan accepted the UN-backed ceasefire.

1966

The PARR-I reactor at PINSTECH reached criticality (self-sustaining).

June 22, 1966

The PINSTECH reactor reached full power of 5 megawatts.

August 1966

Bhutto traveled to Europe after being dismissed as Foreign Minister and delivered anti-India speeches.

1967

Usmani, head of PAEC, gave a speech at the Army Headquarters (GHQ) on the role of power reactors and the nuclear fuel cycle in nuclear weapons development.

December 1967

Founding of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

1968

A United Nations study estimated that a complete nuclear weapons program requires a complex material and human base.

Late 1969

Early 1970: Mahmood began work on Yusuf, a senior member of East Pakistan's PAEC.

1970

AEMC engineers and scientists designed and built a pilot plant with a capacity of ten thousand pounds per day for concentrating extracted uranium ore.

March 1971

The Pakistani army launched an operation against Bengali insurgents in Dhaka, leading to a civil war in East Pakistan.

July 1971

Yahya Khan assisted Henry Kissinger in arranging a secret visit to Beijing.

December 16, 1971

The fall of Dhaka and Pakistan's defeat in the war with India.

Late 1971

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto became the President of Pakistan.

January 20, 1972

PAEC scientists' conference held in Multan.

March 1972

Munir Ahmad Khan officially replaced Dr. I. H. Usmani as PAEC Chairman.

November 28, 1972

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto inaugurated KANUPP.

1973

PINSTECH initiated a local program to produce uranium oxide fuel.

February 1974

Pakistan hosted the summit of thirty-eight Islamic countries representing the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC).

1974 - India's First Nuclear Test

India conducted its first nuclear test in Pokhran.

1974 - Munir Ahmad Khan's Statement

Munir Ahmad Khan stated that India's nuclear test opened the floodgates for nuclear weapons.

1974 - Bhutto Convenes DCC Meeting

Prime Minister Bhutto convened a meeting of the Cabinet Defence Committee (DCC).

1974 - Dr. Khan's Offer to Bhutto

Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan wrote to Prime Minister Bhutto, offering his expertise in gas centrifuge technology.

1974 - Dr. Khan's Second Letter

Dr. Khan sent another letter to Bhutto, explaining the importance of highly enriched uranium (HEU) as an alternative to plutonium.

October 1974

PAEC officially launched the secret uranium enrichment plan codenamed "Project 706."

February 1975

Prime Minister Bhutto allocated $350 million for several PAEC initiatives, including a centrifuge plant for uranium enrichment and a uranium mine at Baghalchur (BC-1) in the Dera Ghazi Khan valley.

February 15, 1975

Assassination of Hayat Sherpao, a close associate of Bhutto, in Peshawar.

December 1975

Abdul Qadeer Khan left Europe and arrived in Pakistan.

1976

Abdul Qadeer Khan officially joined the enrichment project.

February 1976

France approved the sale of a reprocessing plant to Pakistan, and the following month an agreement was reached between Pakistan and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

May 1976

Bhutto signed a strategic agreement with China, which included military, nuclear, and other civilian agreements.

December 1976

Canada cut off the supply of nuclear fuel, heavy water, spare parts, and technical support to KANUPP.

July 1977

The Pakistani army took power after four months of violent protests. General Zia-ul-Haq ruled Pakistan for eleven years.

September 1977

Joseph Nye Jr., a nuclear expert from the U.S. State Department, visited Islamabad and threatened to cut economic aid.

December 1977

The first shipment of inverters for the enrichment project was sent from Europe to Pakistan.

June 1978

A centrifuge at the Sihah plant successfully enriched uranium.

August 1978

Completion of the inverter order from Europe.

1978

Pakistan completed its first uranium enrichment.

1979

The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan.

1979

Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Libya loaned Pakistan 450 million dollars.

February 2, 1979

Abdul Qadeer Khan wrote to his friend in Canada, Abdul Hafeez Khan, about a major success at ERL (Engineering Research Laboratories).

September 1979

Charles Van Doren, Assistant Director of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (ACDA), expressed his suspicion in testimony to the General Advisory Committee on Arms Control and Disarmament that Pakistan would soon be ready to test a nuclear device.

December 31, 1979

Nuclear test sites in Balochistan needed to be prepared.

1980

Nuclear test sites were prepared.

1980

Establishment of the Diagnostics Directorate.

1980

13-megaton heavy water plant in Multan completed with Belgian assistance.

June 7, 1981

Israeli planes attacked and destroyed Iraq's Osirak nuclear reactor.

September 1981

An earthquake destroyed four thousand centrifuges at the Khan Research Laboratories (KRL).

May 1981

Zia-ul-Haq visited ERL and renamed it to KRL.

March 1983

Pakistan successfully conducted its first cold test of an operational nuclear device.

April 13, 1984

Pakistan's Northern Command Forces (FCNA) observed Indian helicopters deploying troops in the heights of the Saltoro Range in the Siachen Glacier region.

October 1984

Assassination of Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards.

January 1984

Abdul Qadeer Khan publicly announced that Pakistan was capable of uranium enrichment.

September 15, 1986

Pakistan and China signed a new nuclear cooperation agreement.

November 1986

PAEC held the exhibition "Atoms for Development - 1986".

Late 1986

General Arif was informed about India's preparations for the "Brasstacks" exercise.

January 1987

Abdul Qadeer Khan stirred controversy in an interview with a Pakistani journalist, highlighting Pakistan's nuclear achievements.

1987

Work began on the 40-50 MW Khushab production reactor.

1987

The Khushab-1 Heavy Water Production Plant (KCP-I) was initiated.

December 1988

The non-attack agreement on nuclear facilities between India and Pakistan was formalized.

March 1989

Brent Scowcroft, the US National Security Advisor, warned General Beg that certifying Pakistan's nuclear activities would no longer be routine.

January 1990

Pakistan received 'credible information' of another preemptive strike plan by India and Israel.

1990

China transferred M-11 or DF-11 missile technology to Pakistan.

January 1991

General Beg criticized US policy in the attack on Iraq.

June 1992

Representatives from KRL and Pakistani government officials visited the Sanum Dong missile development center in North Korea.

May 1993

Pakistani and Iranian engineers visited North Korea to observe the first Nodong missile test launch.

1993

General Abdul Waheed was appointed as the Chief of Army Staff (COAS).

April 17, 1993

Prime Minister Sharif criticized President Ghulam Ishaq Khan in a televised speech.

April 18, 1993

President Ghulam Ishaq Khan dismissed the government and parliament.

May 1993

The Supreme Court overturned the President's decision and reinstated Sharif.

October 1993

Elections brought Benazir Bhutto to power.

November 1993

The Combat Development Directorate officially took over nuclear coordination responsibilities from the COAS.

December 30, 1994

Benazir Bhutto visited Pyongyang and signed a deal to purchase Nodong missiles.

1995

NDC and AWC successfully completed cold tests for aerial delivery.

May 1995

After years of cold testing with aerial launches, PAEC achieved desired results.

June 1996

Arundhati Ghose, India's ambassador in Geneva, criticized the 'discriminatory and flawed nature of the CTBT' at the plenary session of the Conference on Disarmament.

July 1997

The Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (ACDA) was officially established.

May 12, 1997

Nawaz Sharif, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, met with Indian Prime Minister Gujral.

March 1998

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won in India, reinstating Atal Bihari Vajpayee as Prime Minister.

April 6, 1998

The Sharif government authorized the first test of the Ghauri missile.

May 11 and 13, 1998

India conducted several nuclear tests in Pokhran.

1998 - Army Chief's Order

The Army Chief ordered Samar Mubarakmand to hand over two bombs to KRL for testing.

1998 - Green Light for Nuclear Tests

Prime Minister Sharif gave the green light for nuclear tests in a secret DCC meeting.

1998 - Pakistan's Nuclear Tests

Pakistan conducted five nuclear tests in the Ras Koh Hills (Chagai) in Balochistan.

1998 - Another Nuclear Test

Pakistan conducted another nuclear test in the Kharan Desert.

1998 - US Missile Strikes

The United States launched several Tomahawk missiles from the Arabian Sea towards targets in Afghanistan.

September 1998

The Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly and decided to resume comprehensive dialogue.

December 1998

Major General Quddusi took charge of nuclear programs as the potential head of the new organization.

October 1998

Nawaz Sharif forced Karamat to resign and replaced him with Pervez Musharraf.

March 1999

General Musharraf was appointed as the interim Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) and Chief of Army Staff (COAS).

March 1999

The Shaheen-1 missile (Hatf-4) was displayed for the first time at the National Day parade.

February 1999

Signing of the Lahore Agreement between India and Pakistan.

May 1999

Start of the Kargil conflict between India and Pakistan.

July 1999

Sharif contacted President Clinton for intervention.

October 12, 1999

Musharraf's military coup ousted Nawaz Sharif's government.

October 1999

In his first speech at GHQ, Musharraf promised a new era for civil-military relations.

November 1999

All nuclear and missile organizations were placed under SPD control.

September 2003

George Tenet, CIA Director, presented evidence of nuclear technology proliferation by Abdul Qadeer Khan.

Late 2003

The ship BBC China was seized in the Mediterranean, carrying nuclear equipment from Malaysia to Libya.

2004

American media reported the discovery of Abdul Qadeer Khan's nuclear proliferation network.

February 2004

Abdul Qadeer Khan confessed and was pardoned by Pervez Musharraf.

July 2007

Pakistan successfully tested the Babur cruise missile.

October 2007

Musharraf retired from active service but remained head of SPD.

2008

Musharraf stepped down as head of SPD.

January 2008

ASFC's Strategic Missile Group conducted a missile launch test.

August 2008

Pervez Musharraf resigned from the presidency.

2009

Pakistan Navy conducted its first naval cruise missile launch test.

January 2011

Assassination of Salman Taseer, the liberal governor of Punjab.

May 2, 2011

U.S. Navy SEALs killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

April 2011

Hatf-9/Nasr missile test launched.

November 26, 2011

U.S. forces attacked a Pakistani army checkpoint in Salala on the Afghan border, killing 27 soldiers and officers.