ISLAMABAD, Dec 28: Federal Science and Technology Minister Dr Attaur Rehman on Friday said the government was launching a plan to invigorate specialised research in different fields, including engineering, in universities.

Speaking at the 30th Pakistan Atomic Energy Council meeting, he asked the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) to initiate a PhD education plan and to establish a stem cell research centre.

The meeting was to be presided over by President Pervez Musharraf, but due to his preoccupations, Prof Rehman led it.

The minister urged the PAEC to provide affiliation at least in Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Bio-technology, which would bolster the research activities for the needs of the commission.

The minister asked the PAEC to prepare a PhD education plan and forward at least 2,000 nominations. He said training resources abroad should also be explored.

The PAEC, in an announcement, said that the minister stressed the need for establishment of a stem cell research centre.

He said the commission should also set up institutes for bio-informatics, low temperature superconductivity and machine intelligence centres which were vital for the benefit and prosperity of the country.

Dilating on the critical areas of research, he said that the PAEC should give priority to establishing a world class institute of material science development to cater for material needs of the commission and scientific activities in general.

He assured that the government would do its utmost to provide funds for such research and development.

The minister expressed satisfaction on PAEC’s performance in the field of information technology but stressed that the commission should identify more areas where it could contribute.

Dr Rehman lauded PAEC’s work in nuclear power, nuclear medicine, agriculture, human resource development and biotechnology.

PAEC Chairman Pervez Butt said that after the commissioning of Chasnupp, which was being run successfully, the commission had the expertise to provide more than 50 per cent indigenously produced components for the proposed C-2 and K-2 nuclear power plants.

He said Pakistan was the only Muslim country where two nuclear power plants were operating. He said four agricultural and 12 nuclear medical centres of the PAEC were operating.

Explaining the progress of nuclear agriculture centres, he said over 40 high-yield and disease-resistant varieties of crops had been introduced.