Editing Sultan Bashiruddin Mahmood (section)

==Radical politics and Ummah Tameer-e-Nau==
{{Main|Ummah Tameer-e-Nau}}
Though publicly endorsing the 1998 decision to carry out the [[Chagai-I]] nuclear tests by [[Nawaz Sharif|Prime Minister Sharif]], Mahmood began appearing on news channels as an outspoken opponent of Sharif, as Mahmood vehemently opposed Pakistan becoming a [[signatory state]] of the [[Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty]] (NPT) and [[Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty]]  (CTBT) just like neighbouring India.<ref name="Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists">{{Cite web  | last = Albright  | first = David  | author2 = Holly Higgins  | title = ''A bomb for Ummah''  | website = [[Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists]]  | publisher = Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists  | date = March 2003  | url = https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:N8Zux2U1DPQJ:people.reed.edu/~ahm/Courses/Stan-PS-314-2009-Q1_PNP/Syllabus/EReadings/AlbrightHiggins2003A-Bomb.pdf+sbm+probe-Sultan+Bashir-ud-Din+Mahmood&hl=en&gl=us&sig=AHIEtbQqebcleCgCJscqUOmh5_Hlew-Q1w  | access-date = 1 March 2006  }}{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> In Pakistan's popular news channels and newspapers, Mahmood gave numerous interviews, wrote articles, and lobbied against Sharif when he learned that the Prime Minister had been willing to sign anti-nuclear weapons treaties, prompting the Pakistan Government to forcefully transfer Mahmood to a non-technical position at PAEC.<ref name="Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists"/>

Seeking premature retirement from PAEC in 1999, Mahmood moved towards publishing books and articles involving the relationship between [[Islam and science]].<ref name="darulhikmat.com" /> Mahmood founded the [[Ummah Tameer-e-Nau]] (UTN)– a radical organisation– with his close associates.<ref name="darulhikmat.com" /> In 2000, he began attending lectures and religious sessions with Dr. [[Israr Ahmed]] who would later influence his political views and philosophy.<ref name="Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists"/> Through UTN, Mahmood stepped into more [[Islamic extremism|radical politics]], and began visiting [[Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan|Afghanistan]] where he wanted to be focused on rebuilding educational institutions, hospitals, and relief work.<ref name=NYT/>

In August 2001, Mahmood and his colleague [[Chaudhry Abdul Majeed]] at the UTN met with [[Osama bin Laden]] and [[Ayman al-Zawahiri]] in [[Kandahar]], [[Afghanistan]]. Describing the meeting, the ''[[New York Times]]'' editorial quoted: "''There is little doubt that Mahmood talked to the two al-Qaeda leaders about [[nuclear weapons]], or that [[Al Qaeda]] desperately wanted the bomb''".<ref name=NYT/>