| Samar Mubarakmand | |
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| [[File:Dr. Samar Mubarak mand|36676 bytes|alt=]] |
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| Born | September 17, 1942 Rawalpindi, State of Punjab, British India |
| Residence | Islamabad, Islamabad Capital Territory |
| Citizenship | Pakistan |
| Nationality | Pakistani |
| Fields | Nuclear Physics |
| Institutions | Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission(PAEC) Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology (PINSTECH) National Engineering and Scientific Commission (NESCOM) Planning Commission of Pakistan |
| Alma mater | University of Oxford Government College University (GCU) |
| Doctoral advisor | Dr. D. H. Wilkinson. |
| Other academic advisors | Dr. Rafi Muhammad Chaudhry and Dr. Naeem Ahmad Khan |
| Known for | Integrated missile, Space, and Nuclear Deterrence Program Research work on Nuclear Instrumentation, and Nuclear Diagnostics |
| Influenced | Rafi Muhammad Chaudhry and Dr. Naeem Ahmad Khan |
| Notable awards | Nishan-e-Imtiaz (2003) Hilal-e-Imtiaz (1998) Sitara-e-Imtiaz (1992) Dr. Nazir Ahmad Award (2007) |
Samar Mubarakmand (Urdu: ثمر مبارک مند) (born September 17, 1942), (NI, HI, SI, Ph.D, FPAS), is a Pakistani nuclear physicist, who served as the founding chairman of National Engineering and Scientific Commission (NESCOM) from 2001 till 2007.[1] Samar Mubarak-Mand launched the Missile Integration Programme in 1987 which was successfully completed in 2005. A pioneer of Fluid and Aerodynamics in Pakistan, Mand earned renowned internationally in May 1998, when he headed the team of academic scientists which carried out the country's first and successful nuclear tests — Codename Chagai-I on May 28 and Codename Chagai-II on May 30 — in Balochistan Province of Pakistan.[2]
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Samar Mubarakmand completed his elementary and intermediate education from Lahore, British Punjab. He did his matriculation from St. Anthony's High School in 1956.[1] He received his B.Sc. in Physics in 1958 and, followed by his M.Sc. degree in nuclear physics in 1962, in which he wrote his M.Sc. thesis on "Construction of a gamma-ray spectrometer",both from Government College University, Lahore.[3]
The same year, he won the doctoral scholarship, and attended Oxford University. Mand studied with Shaukat Hameed Khan, and while at Oxford, he studied Compton scattering and dynamical theory of Gamma spectroscopy. He received his Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics from the University of Oxford in 1966 under the renowned nuclear physicist Dr. D. H. Wilkinson.[4] There, Mand studied with Shaukat Hameed Khan at the Physics Department, learning about the Linear accelerators, and after returning to Pakistan he built one. In Oxford, he was part of the team that commissioned a 22 million volt atomic accelerator.[5] After his doctorate, Mand returned to Pakistan where he joined Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission in 1966.
After his doctorate, Mand joined Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) in 1966. The following year, he was sent to Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology (PINSTECH) where he did his post-doctoral research under Naeem Ahmad Khan. In January 1972, Mand was assigned to Ishfaq Ahmad's Nuclear Physics Division where he took charge to carry out the calculations in implosion method, and mathematical multiplication involved in nuclear fission.[6] In 1974, on the advise of Abdus Salam, Ishfaq Ahmad formed the Fast Neutron Physics Group, making Mand as its head. Mand was tasked to began to calculated the neutron energy's distributive ranges — determining the numbers would produced during the fission process — and Neutron economy — how much power would be produced by the neutrons.[6] In September 1973, Mand then began the work on simultaneity — key calculations involving to investigate detonation of the weapon from several points at the same time. However, the work was passed on to the Mathematical Physics Group (MPG) under Asghar Qadir, and the Theoretical Physics Group (TPG) under Abdus Salam as it felt that the calculations would be better off with MPG and TPG under Salam, as it involved complex mathematical and physics applications of Einstein's Special and General relativity.[6] Mand charged with the test teams, and was made responsible for the countdown for the detonation of the weapon.[6] As scientist, Mand's team was tasked with the carrying the measurement and collecting scientific experimented data from the nuclear detonation.[6]
In 1978, both TPG and MPG completed the work on the Fast neutron calculations, and the designing of the first implosion fission weapon. In 1978, Mand led the construction of a nuclear and particle linear accelerator, and the neutron generator at the secret Pinstech Laboratory. On March 11 of 1983, Mand was one of the few scientists that were invited to eye-witnessed the cold test of theoretically designed weapon, codename Kirana-I. Mand was the part of the Ishfaq Ahmad's Nuclear Physics Division, and led the countdown of the weapon while TPG and MPG calculated the yield. In 1980s, Mand was given transferred to Directorate for Technical Development(DTD) — a secret directorate that was mandate to develop explosive lenses and triggering mechanism for the fission weapon. There, along with Hafeez Qureshi, Mand provided the technical assistance to the engineers there. At Pinstech Laboratory, Mand built another nuclear accelerator to conduct studies of an explosion process in a fission weapon. For his own role in the project and DTD, Mand later concluded: Engineer people (referring to Hafeez Qureshi and dr. Zaman Sheikh), at DTD, were really smart. They were trained very thoroughly in the development of a weapon's necessary materials at very low cost.[7]
Mubarakmand first visited in Chagai Hills in 1981, along with Ishfaq Ahmad and other scientists from different divisions. In 1998, in the absent of Ishfaq Ahmad, Mand had briefly directed then-Prime minister Nawaz Sharif as he was first responsible for the preparations of tests. However, after Ishfaq Ahmad arrived, Mand was made responsible for the preparations of the tests. In May 28, 1998, Mand led the countdown of tests — codename Chagai-I — in Ras Koh Hills of Chagai region. On May 30, Ishfaq Ahmad received permission from the Prime minister, and Mand led the a very small team of academic scientists that supervised the country's plutonium fission weapon — codename Chagai-II. </ref> In the 1990s, he served as the Director General of National Defence Complex, another Pakistani organization shrouded in secrecy.[8] On a day when Mubarakmand was interviewed by Pakistani media host Hamid Mir on his program Capital Talk, Mubarakmand eulogized his memories and said:
I visited Weapon-testing laboratories(WTL) at (Chagai Hills) for the first time in 1981.... When the science experiments were to be conducted, our science teams went there on 20th May, and again on 28th May, in the early morning, the WTL iron-steel tunnels were (electronically) plugged in and the preparation for the tests' experiments were complete, and on 28th May, around 15:15hrs, was the time selected for testings. So, at that time, at around 14:45hrs, some of our high profiled guests arrived to witness the (science) experiments that were soon to be tests, and Dr. Qadeer Khan was also one of them.... It was the first visit of his life to any of Chagai's Weapon-testing laboratories. (Abdul Qadeer) came at the invitation of the Chairman of the PAEC, Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad, and (Abdul Qadeer) arrived 15 minutes prior to the (science) experiments that were to be conducted...—Samar Mubarakmand, commenting on Abdul Qadeer Khan's role in atomic bomb project, [9]
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Recalling Munir Ahmad Khan and PAEC's role and and its relation to the famous atomic bomb project priority dispute, Mand later said that:
| “ | As many as nineteen steps were involved in the making of a nuclear weapon ranging from exploration of uranium to the finished device and its trigger mechanism.The technological and manpower infrastructure for eighteen out of these nineteen steps were provided by the PAEC under the leadership of Munir Ahmad Khan who led it for nearly two decades from 1972 to 1991. Today all the major key scientific organizations linked to the country's security like the PAEC, the Kahuta Research Labs and the strategic production complex were run and operated by Pakistani professionals produced by the policies of the PAEC both under him and Dr. Usmani of producing indigenous trained manpower. Pakistan's nuclear capability was confirmed the day in 1983 when the PAEC carried out cold nuclear tests under the guidance and stewardship of late Munir Ahmad Khan.[10] The tests however, were not publicly announced because of the international environment of stiff sanctions against countries, which sought to acquire nuclear capability. | ” |
After his active role in Pakistan's nuclear weapons research programme, Mubarakmand has been associated with the country's space program where he largely contributed his research in computational fluid dynamics, aerodynamics, and fluid physics. Into Pakistan's scientific circle, he is known as father of Pakistan's missile program where he is reportedly been present at the flight test facilities of Pakistan.[11] In 1987, Ministry of Defence initiated the Integrated Missile Research and Development Programme, an equivalent program to India's Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP). The MoD initiated the program under the leadership of dr. Samar Mubarakmand and dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan.
In 1995, Mubarakmand became chief project coordinator of Shaheen Strategic Missile Guidance System, and the following year, Mubarakmand was made head of the Integrated Missile Research and Development Programme (IMRDP), . The program, in which, Pakistan's developed its liquid and solid booster based missiles for her nuclear war heads. As the head of the Missile Integration Program, Mubarakmand's team successfully developed the solid booters and solid engine for Shaheen-I. This was later followed by developing the Shaheen-II and Shaheen-III missiles. As of today, Mubarakmand is considered the main architect of Pakistan's missile program, which includes systems such as the Babur missile, Shaheen missile series, and the Ghaznavi missile system.[12]
Mubarakmand, who has been a chief architect of Pakistan's solid booster, he has been a strong advocate for a Pakistan's space program. As a "Science and Technology" member at the Planning Commission of Pakistan, he has been staunch supporter of rocket science in his country where he led the Shaheen Missile guidance system project. Talking to the media on August 18, 2009, Mubarakmand has Pakistan would launch its own satellite in April 2011 it made some things seem all to obvious to analyst familiar with the subject.[13]
He described the satellite as being able to monitor agricultural programs, minerals programs and weather conditions and that it was funded by the Pakistani Planning Commission. He went on to say there was enough money’s for both the defense, nuclear and space programs. Whether this will be a less than 100 kg first test satellite or a much heavier satellite remains to be seen.[14]
Of 2010, currently, Dr. Samarkand Mubarakmand is supervising coal mining practiced on scientific lines, for the Thar Coal Power Project.
Samar Mubarakmand is widely credited with bringing modernization in the design and development of many components and instruments that are the backbone of Pakistan's nuclear and missile technology.[15] Mubarakmand is a recipient of Pakistan's three highest civilian awards; Sitara-e-Imtiaz (1993), Hilal-e-Imtiaz (1998) and Nishan-e-Imtiaz (2003). In 2000, he was elected Fellow of Pakistan Academy of Sciences. He has always kept a low profile and is often referred to as the "Unsung Hero" of Nuclear Pakistan. Despite keeping away from the public spotlight, Samar Mubarakmand is considered the most influential and eminent Pakistani Nuclear Scientist.
Samar Mubarakmand served as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Science & Technology from December 2007 to April 2008, and joined Planning Commission (Pakistan), Government of Pakistan as Member (Science & Technology) on 16-12-2008.
| “ | My eyes were set on the mountain in which the test was to be conducted. I experienced a halt in my heartbeat on seeing nothing happening after 32 seconds. But all of a sudden it was a big jolt! We had triumphed. | ” |
| “ | wherever you go and whatever ends you pursue, you must always fulfill the trust reposed in you by your nation, your parents and your alma mater | ” |
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