Iran-US Nuclear Deal: Short Facts and Figures

Specifications of the deal:

1. Sanctions already imposed on terrorism, human rights violation and ballistic missile will remain as it is.

1.  Reduction of centrifuges from 19,000 to 5,060 (6,104).

1. Iran will not enrich over 3.67 percent for coming 15 years.

1. It will reduce the current stockpile (at 3.67%) from 10,000 kg to 300 kg.

1. The deal didn’t specify how the reduction in mentioned stockpile will be occurred and how it will proceed?

1. Iran will keep only one site for nuclear enrichment at Natanz at 3.67% for same 15 years.

1. Fortified Fordo plant will be converted to nuclear research center and will not house any fissile materials for the stated period.

1. Arak heavy water reactor will be dismantled only for the purpose not to produce weapon grade plutonium.

1. No latest than first generation centrifuges will be used in coming 10 years.

1. Talks started in 2013

Guns Control and National Action Plan for Pakistan

Pakistan is currently undergoing a serious turmoil. Among them are the issues related to political, environmental, economic and social ones. The ongoing political instability had disturbed the fabric of society. Last one decade witnessed several environmental curses inflicted upon us naturally which caused a great damage to our country’s economy. The earth-quick in northern areas and later floods cost us several hundred lives other than direct and indirect costs. More than 80 thousand people died in aforementioned earth-quick alone in northern areas. Economic variables signs towards unsatisfactory progress. The decreasing growth of our GDP, increasing inflation rate, circular debt, lowering tax-to-GDP ratio and increasing public debt are another obscenity which we are facing and will face its repercussions in a long period in coming future as well. But the issues at social level are the most serious one eating the roots of our nation internally. These includes various social crimes and militancy.

 Crimes in our society is triggering at aggregate level. One of the major role in playing these crimes are the proliferation of guns. Gun is central in all such activities.

Militancy is one of the incidence that had been inflicted through the use of guns in the country. The wave of militancy flinched after the government initiated military operation in pursuit of War on Terror (WoT).  The current reports stated that almost 50 thousand people diet in last one decade due to the ongoing militancy.

Crimes is a social evil which is a headache for the people and the government since the independence. It is the common issue that most of the countries facing. We are particularly referring here crimes in with gun is used as a main tool. Pakistan is a country in which more than 70 percent people live in a rural areas. In most of the areas, the government has no direct access in the form of its agents like police. In those areas, people are responsible for their own protection. Hence they carry and keep guns with themselves.

In countries like USA, there are more than 900 million (90 crore) registered guns as against their 300 million (30 crore) population. It is such a nation in which every activity is documented more than any other country.  

The porous border between Pakistan and Afghanistan is one of the main channel through which most of the weapons are coming into our country. Sealing the mentioned border will more likely stop the proliferation of such weapons in our society. The border is hosting two crossing points which are using for trade between both the countries. It is highly recommend the already established Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) keep eyes open and restrict borders if it is using for gun smuggling. The rest of the porous region can be control by the installation of fence walls around critical region where people can cross into from one country to another

There is a region named Darra Adam Khel (DAK). It is one of the Frontier Region (FR) of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and doesn’t came under proper governance of the state’s provinces or federation. There are several factories of small arms in there. Weapons designed here are going into the rest of the country without any documentation. State’s National Database and registration Authority (NADRA) played its role with registering weapons in the settled regions of the country but can’t control the transaction of them in the mentioned DAK region. Guns made in DAK are then spread into the rest of the regions of the country. The region played a role in the weaponization of the tribal belt which is the host of massive such weapons. Most of these weapons are used by the militants in FATA against the state government. They have challenged the writ of the government. It almost took 8 years for the government to hand them down. The mentioned tribal areas are now relatively safe in terms of weapons. The control and restriction of weapons affected the retaliatory activities of the militants in the region. It is recommend NADRA should start registration of weapons made in the area to save to country from further terrorists curses. 

Nuclear Deal:Win or Loss for Iran

Iran is one of the prominent country in Middle East which can change it fate any time. It is sharing borders with Pakistan at east, Afghanistan at north east and several other central Asian states at west. It is also sharing border with Turkey. The country is facing so many political and geographical concerns which are international in nature. The nuclear program it initiated in the wake of 1960s is one of the international issue which entangled the country into further international chaos. The mentioned international matter hampered its economy and triggered internal economic disorder into its state. The state is facing severe economic sanctions since last one decade in pursuit of its nuclear program. International community had initiated a dialogue amid its desire for a nuclear weapon. This month proved to be fruitful for both of the parties to come up to some mark.

All Partner of The Initial Nuclear Deal. Picture taken from https://www.google.com.pk/search?q=Iran+Nuclear+Deal&es_sm=93&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAkQ_AUoA2oVChMIqeWDktr-yAIVweGmCh1Y3wKh&biw=1024&bih=499#imgrc=SQiXsNK5o0OuQM%3A

1979 was the turning point in the political history of Iran. It was a time when a religious party toppled Shah of Iran, Raza Shah Pehlevi. Shah was ruling the country since last two decades. Raza had made several; deals with the US and the west during his tenure. It was in 1957 when both the mentioned states came up on a mutual agreement about civilian peaceful nuclear program in Tehran. She also made several deals with several European companies as well in this regard. These companies made billions of dollars investment into its nuclear project.  Research work was in progress until 1980s. With the Islamic revolution came, the nuclear program went into hibernation. The state dismantled all agreements made with the US and the western companies which was made before the stated political change.

The initial era of the Islamic government reversed few of the state’s previous policies regarding the nuclear program. The supreme Imam Khamenei banned work on the nuclear program. He declared it haram (forbidden) and deprecate it as it is against the humanity. For almost one decade, the state made no progress toward the nuclear program.

The power game in Middle East, the later war with Iraq and the increased hegemony of Israel caused Iran to start a secret work on its nuclear program again. The country made a war with Iraq which continued for more than 8 years. Both countries faced a cost of more than one million deaths. On the other hand, Israel was an increasing threat for the adjoining Lebanon. These two major reasons along with few other forces Iran to think back on its nuclear program which can be used as a weapon of deterrence.

The world, especially the US realized in late 1990s that Iran is progressing toward nuclear program. It was in 2003 when Iran’s official data was released in which they enriched Uranium up to 3.7 percent with few hundreds centrifuges. Sanctions were made against Iran under UN resolution after Iran refused to halt work on its nuclear program. These sanctions had a severe repercussions for the state of Iran. Since then the country, after having advantages of geography and resources, faced sanctions which hindered its economic and political activities. Country was banned to have access to the international market for the sale of its petroleum products. It was also banned not to purchase technology from the west which would to be used for its local aeronautic industry. Due to this ban, their local industries were near to bankrupt. It was totally made isolated in this globalizing world.

Despite such sanctions, Iran continued its progress on nuclear program. The later data revealed that they installed more than 19000 centrifuges from few hundreds in 2003. With this much technology, they were able to enrich uranium up to 20 percent. Keeping in mind this fast speed of progress, international community, particularity the US, made sanctions more severe. Such sanctions brought them into the table. And they are near to reach the final agreement on the coming 30^th June.

Media and analysis reports mentioned that both the states, Iran and the US, made compromises. As per the preliminary obligations of the agreement released a week ago, Iran was allowed to keep up to 3 thousand centrifuges which is to be used for Medical purposes. Although same states especially Israel and the Saudi Arabia denounce this agreement and expressed its feelings that such permission will give Iran another chance to enrich Uranium up to 90 percent secretly. And it will encourage the rest of the states in Middle East to start a new race of arms which can be unstoppable.