ISLAMABAD: Pal(istan has told the International Atomic Energy Agency that it has no other practical alternative but to turn to nuclear energy to meet its future electric power needs. This is so because Pakistan is one of the poorest countries of the world as regards the availability of indigenous fuel resources, Pal(istan Atomic Energy Commission Chairman, Munir Ahmad Khan, said in the ... General Conference of IAEA at Rio de Janeiro.

In his statement ... [he] said the establishment of a nuclear reprocessing plant, with French co-operation, constituted an `essential part` of Pal(istan`s nuclear power programme and `preparatory site work` for this had already been started. [He] said Pakistan`s nuclear power programme for 25 years envisaged the establishment of a number of nuclear power plants by the year 2000 when two-thirds of the country`s power needs would be met by nuclear technology.

To implement this master plan, Pal(istan had embarl(ed upon the establishment of necessary industrial infrastructure, ancillary plants, manpower training centres... .

[Meanwhile, as per a report from La Paz, Mexico,] the death toll from ... Hurricane Lisa was expected to rise to almost 1,000 today [Oct 2].