Monday, July 24 2006 18:34 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington: Pakistan is building a new nuclear reactor to produce plutonium, The Washington Post reported, citing independent analysts.

The Washington-based experts said satellite photos of the Khushab nuclear site appeared to show a heavy-water reactor under construction that would be capable of making plutonium for 40 to 50 atomic weapons each year, 20 times what Pakistan now produces, the newspaper said.

The experts warned that the project could spark a major rise in the region's arm race.

"South Asia may be heading for a nuclear arms race that could lead to arsenals growing into the hundreds of nuclear weapons, or at minimum, vastly expanded stockpiles of military fissile material," David Albright and Paul Brannan of the Institute for Science and International Security wrote in a technical assessment provided to The Washington Post.

Two other independent nuclear analysts, who reviewed commercially available satellite images of the nuclear site, confirmed the assessment's key findings, The Washington Post said.

Pakistani officials would not comment on the report, but The Washington Post quoted a senior Pakistani official who spoke on the condition of anonymity as saying that a nuclear expansion in both the civilian and military areas was under way.

The report raised concerns about relations between Pakistan and India, the nuclear-armed neighbours, who have fought three wars since their 1947 Independence.

India is believed to have 30 to 35 nuclear warheads of a sophisticated plutonium design while Pakistan has an estimated 30 to 50 uranium warheads, which are generally heavier and harder to mount on a warhead.

The nuclear experts cited by The Washington Post said a new heavy-water nuclear reactor would allow Pakistan to upgrade to a uranium-based design.

The experts said it appeared from the satellite photos that the new reactor was a few years from completion and would have a capacity of 1,000 megawatts or more.

By contrast, Pakistan's only existing plutonium-production reactor, which is adjacent to the construction site, has a capacity of 50 megawatts.