Peter Finke (born 1944) is a German

theoretical physicist Theoretical physics is a branch of physics that employs mathematical models and abstractions of physical objects and systems to rationalize, explain, and predict natural phenomena. This is in contrast to experimental physics, which uses experi ...

who participated in

Project-706 Project-706, also known as Project-786 was the codename of a research and development program to develop Pakistan's first nuclear weapons. The program was initiated by Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto in 1974 in response to the Indian nuclear ...

, Pakistan's clandestine nuclear research project. A close associate and friend of the famous Pakistani

nuclear engineer Nuclear engineering is the engineering discipline concerned with designing and applying systems that utilize the energy released by nuclear processes. The most prominent application of nuclear engineering is the generation of electricity. Worldwide ...

Munir Ahmad Khan Munir Ahmad Khan (; 20 May 1926 – 22 April 1999), , was a Pakistani nuclear engineer who is credited, among others, with being the "father of the atomic bomb program" of Pakistan for their leading role in developing their nation's nuclear we ...

(late), he is citizen of both Pakistan and Germany. He is one of the European scientists who participated in Project-706 in the 1970s. Finke is, perhaps, better known in much of the world for his involvement in the development of Beryllium reflector technology as well as selling this technology to

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

in the late 1980s. In 1989, Finke was arrested in Germany by the Interpol Police because of his involvement in

nuclear proliferation Nuclear proliferation is the spread of nuclear weapons to additional countries, particularly those not recognized as List of states with nuclear weapons, nuclear-weapon states by the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, commonl ...

. However, Germany dropped the allegations due to lack of evidence. Finke was sentenced to jail by the German court in 1989 because of violation of Germany's export control laws.

Biography

Nuclear Proliferation

During the 1970s, Finke was working as a director at

Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt The Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) is the national metrology institute of the Federal Republic of Germany, with scientific and technical service tasks. It is a higher federal authority and a public-law institution directly under fed ...

where he carried out research in the field of particle physics and was also serving as director of the atomic clock project. According to the Congressional investigation report of 1989, Finke smuggled sensitive nuclear detectors and

nuclear technology Nuclear technology is technology that involves the nuclear reactions of atomic nucleus, atomic nuclei. Among the notable nuclear technologies are nuclear reactors, nuclear medicine and nuclear weapons. It is also used, among other things, in s ...

in the late 1980s without notifying the German Government. The report also says that he also smuggled

beryllium Beryllium is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Be and atomic number 4. It is a steel-gray, hard, strong, lightweight and brittle alkaline earth metal. It is a divalent element that occurs naturally only in combination with ...

nuclear reflectors and sensitive research publications to Pakistan in 1972.

Project-706

Finke, who was contacted by

nuclear physicist Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies atomic nuclei and their constituents and interactions, in addition to the study of other forms of nuclear matter. Nuclear physics should not be confused with atomic physics, which studies the ...

turned-diplomat Siddique Ahmad Butt, better known as S. A. Butt, also passed on sensitive research publications to Butt. Finke first visited Pakistan when a German nuclear firm signed a civilian nuclear technology agreement with PAEC. However, later, Finke moved to Pakistan in 1975 to train Pakistani scientists in the field of

nuclear reactor technology A nuclear reactor is a device used to initiate and control a fission nuclear chain reaction. They are used for commercial electricity, marine propulsion, weapons production and research. Fissile nuclei (primarily uranium-235 or plutonium- ...

under the mutual agreement. When the German nuclear fuel supplier firm terminated the contract due to Finke's involvement in Project-706; Finke decided to live in

where he trained a number of Pakistani scientists in the field of nuclear reactor-device technology

PINSTECH career

Finke moved to Pakistan in 1980 where he joined

under the leadership of

and

Abdul Qadeer Khan Abdul Qadeer Khan (1 April 1936 – 10 October 2021) was a Pakistani Nuclear physics, nuclear physicist and metallurgist, metallurgical engineer. He is colloquially known as the "father of Pakistan and weapons of mass destruction, Pakistan's ...

. Finke, eventually, worked at the

Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the second-largest Muslim population as of 2023. Islamabad is the nat ...

(PINSTECH) as a researcher and produced a number of research publications along with his fellow Pakistani nuclear scientists. However, Finke was carefully excluded from Pakistan's nuclear weapons development program and was tasked to provide research publications. At PINSTECH, Peter Finke was involved in

where he researched and provided personal assistance to Pakistani scientists in nuclear reactor technology. According to his personal account, the Congressional report has stated that "There is no doubt that

Munir Ahmed Khan Munir Ahmad Khan (; 20 May 1926 – 22 April 1999), , was a Pakistani nuclear engineer who is credited, among others, with being the "father of the atomic bomb program" of Pakistan for their leading role in developing their nation's nuclear wea ...

, chief of the Pakistan Nuclear Authority, with whom Finke already had a cup of tea, has secretly developed his country into a nuclear power; the bomb puzzle is complete. He had many individual parts – ranging from transformer sheets to uranium conversion —supplied by small West German firms, using a network of agents to this end. Finke was instrumental in the development of

Tritium Tritium () or hydrogen-3 (symbol T or H) is a rare and radioactive isotope of hydrogen with a half-life of ~12.33 years. The tritium nucleus (t, sometimes called a ''triton'') contains one proton and two neutrons, whereas the nucleus of the ...

reflector technology for Pakistan's nuclear weapons. Finke produced research publications on

Beryllium Beryllium is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Be and atomic number 4. It is a steel-gray, hard, strong, lightweight and brittle alkaline earth metal. It is a divalent element that occurs naturally only in combination with ...

and Thorium reflectors which were passed on to the Pakistani nuclear scientists to develop nuclear weapons. Because of his services, Finke was awarded Sitara-i-Imtiaz by the then

President of Pakistan The president of Pakistan () is the head of state of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The president is the nominal head of the executive and the supreme commander of the Pakistan Armed Forces.

General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq. Finke continued to carry out research in Pakistan's nuclear program till 1989. Later, he was transferred to PINSTECH's

Nuclear Physics Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies atomic nuclei and their constituents and interactions, in addition to the study of other forms of nuclear matter. Nuclear physics should not be confused with atomic physics, which studies th ...

Division (NPD) where he became a distinguished professor of

particle physics Particle physics or high-energy physics is the study of Elementary particle, fundamental particles and fundamental interaction, forces that constitute matter and radiation. The field also studies combinations of elementary particles up to the s ...

. Later, he became a full professor of

high energy physics Particle physics or high-energy physics is the study of fundamental particles and forces that constitute matter and radiation. The field also studies combinations of elementary particles up to the scale of protons and neutrons, while the stu ...

. He obtained Pakistani citizenship in 1985.

Arrest and sentence to jail

In 1989, Finke was arrested through a joint operation of German Police and Interpol in Germany. Finke, who was in Germany for a personal vacation, was arrested by the German Police and jailed for violating the German export control laws. The following year, Finke was charged with nuclear proliferation where he confessed his involvement in the Pakistani nuclear program. The German court found him guilty and he served a jail term in a German Prison. Finke's personal information and details have been kept secret by the Governments of Pakistan and Germany. Both Pakistan and Germany refused to provide more details regarding the scientist. The trial went fast and most of the information regarding the case was not released by Pakistan and Germany to the international press. After serving his jail term, Finke has been monitored closely by intelligence agencies and was reported to have moved back to

with his family where he became a foreign professor of

at the

Quaid-i-Azam University Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU), founded as the University of Islamabad, is a public research university in Islamabad, Pakistan. Founded as the University of Islamabad in 1967, it was initially dedicated to postgraduate study, but later expande ...

, Islamabad.

References

External links

Congressional Report of 1989 See Nuclear Exports to Pakistan Reported
*http://www.nuclearactive.org/docs/LES021904a.html
See Document No.2964
{{DEFAULTSORT:Finke, Peter Pakistani physicists Scientists from North Rhine-Westphalia German emigrants to Pakistan 20th-century German physicists Nuclear proliferation Project-706 1944 births Living people Pakistani spies Scientists from Bonn Scientists from Islamabad Academic staff of Quaid-i-Azam University Recipients of Sitara-i-Imtiaz German theoretical physicists Naturalised citizens of Pakistan