‘Nuclear power is not just economics’: atomic energy and economic development in the Karachi Nuclear Power Plant Project (Kanupp), 1955–1965

ABSTRACT This paper investigates Pakistan’s atomic energy programme during the years of Ayub Khan’s rule by focusing on the negotiations leading to the construction of the Karachi Nuclear Power Plant. Drawing for the first time on primary sources obtained from the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, the paper shows how nuclear power and research were key elements of a controversial development strategy elaborated by part of the Pakistani elite as well as the entanglement among foreign aid, political ambitions and predicted economic growth, with Cold War considerations claiming the lion’s share in determining the conditions and eventual kick-off of the project.