Nuclear Power: under consideration

The core agenda of the two day high level strategic dialogue between the USA and Pakistan has been overshadowed by news reports that Washington is now open to consider Pakistans plea for a civil nuclear deal between the two nations.
The local media seems all pumped up with the shift in the American way of thinking, although it is just confined to a mere consideration of Pakistans request. Even the US frontline newspaper, The Wall Street Journal, which is widely considered by many as a reflector of US policies, has also supported the idea of US-Pak civil nuclear deal to achieve better results in Afghanistan.
But on the real front, having the deal done with USA isn necessarily on the American agenda - not on the priority list, anyway. The US media believes that the civil nuclear talk is far from being materialized and may just be a y-the-way topic of discussion in the strategic dialogue.
There is no denying the significance of a civil nuclear deal for Pakistan in such troubled times both at the economic and security fronts.
Pakistan generates a paltry 425 MW electricity through nuclear resources, which is a mere 2.4 percent of the total electric generation. The shortage of natural gas, dependence on imported furnace oil and unreliable water stream make the electric generation an expensive exercise. Nuclear power can undoubtedly provide a viable solution to the countrys power woes.
"Whether Pakistan is able to extract a successful deal with the USA will be known shortly, but now is the best time for Pakistan to at least pitch it successfully as Americas interests offer Pakistan the chance to have a fair deal on softer terms", so thinks a leading defence analyst.
But the process itself is a long one and can get painfully slower especially for Pakistan as it requires loads of international lobbying with a largely westernized Nuclear Supplies Group. A similar deal took three years for India to materialize, a time span which Pakistan would love to strike the deal in. But, chances for that to happen are remote given the countrys
ot-so-clean track record of nuclear proliferation.
The obvious question that pops out is about the possible alternatives for Pakistan to successfully achieve the technology transfer of the civil nuclear programme. Fortunately, Pakistan does not have to look too far as the dear old friend China can prove to be a great partner for the country.
The big plus in continuing to work with China is that having a civil nuclear deal with China requires lesser lobbying efforts as it will not require the approval of the Nuclear Suppliers Group. Convincing the western world in a time when the countrys image is hitting new lows, China seems to provide the perfect solution.
The process will also be a lot faster as China is already helping Pakistan in the establishment of Chashma nuclear power plants. Moreover, China can also act as a shield for Pakistan, in case India opposes the US-Pak civil nuclear deal, which is a strong possibility as China opposed USAs extension of the civil nuclear technology to India.