Pakistan's plutonium

Satellite pictures suggest Pakistan is planning to increase its plutonium production. Geoff Brumfiel finds out what the images show, and why the discovery is important.

Geoff Brumfiel

What is going on in Pakistan?

According to a report from the Institute for Science and International Security, a Washington-based nuclear watchdog, a 1,000-megawatt heavy-water reactor looks to be under construction in Khushab, a relatively empty part of Pakistan. The satellite picture (right) shows the entire construction site: the purported reactor is the large black square in the centre. Such a reactor could produce up to 200 kilograms of weapons-grade plutonium a year — enough to produce 40 to 50 nuclear weapons.