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Dr Qadeer Khan pays tribute to ZAB for promoting nuclear programme
Says Pakistan had managed to conduct cold tests by 1984, the programme costing $250 million.
Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan was affectionately dubbed the Father of Pakistan's Nuclear bomb. PHOTO: FILE
Pakistani nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan appreciated the efforts of former Prime Minister Shaheed ZulfikarAli Bhutto on Monday for providing the opportunity to make the nuclear program of Pakistan successful.
Talking on Express News programme Front Line with Kamran Shahid, Dr Khan said that Pakistan’s nuclear program was totally indigenous, including nuclear material, extracted from Bagal-Chur.
Asked when Pakistan became capable of a nuclear explosion, Dr Khan said that in a letter dated December 10, 1984, he had written to then Pakistan president, General Ziaul Haq, that his department was ready to conduct a nuclear explosion at a week’s notice. However, he pointed out that it was not till Benazir Bhutto became Prime Minsiter that Pakistan started a delivery system programme (missile programme).
He said that Pakistan completed its nuclear program without the help of any foreign country.
Asked about American pressure, Dr Khan said that any intelligence estimates of the US were 10 years behind where Pakistan’s nuclear programme actually stood. “When CIA sent a letter saying we had crossed the five per cent threshold, we had made several bombs by then.”
On the question of proliferation, Dr Khan said that Pakistan only provided guidance with respect to programme, and source of equipment to those countries who contributed materially and technologically. He added that Pakistan had acquired materials from Western countries.
On the existence of the programme itself, Dr Khan said that then Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto had supported it, which is commendable.
Affectionately dubbed the “father of Pakistan’s nuclear bomb”, Dr Khan said that Pakistan can talk to the world with honor and dignity after possessing the atom bomb.
Later, answering a question during a live phone-in on a subsequent Express News programme “Kal Tak” (Till Yesterday), Dr Khan said that they had managed to build a successful nuclear warhead by 1984 (cold tests), at a maximum estimated cost of $250 million, funded internally through off-the-book allocations from developmental budgets.
May 28 marks the anniversary of Pakistan’s first publicly announced successful nuclear tests. In 1998, in what Pakistan claims was considerable pressure from India, after the latter had carried out multiple nuclear tests on May 13, 1998 at Pokhran, situated just 150 km (93 miles) from the border with Pakistan. In response, Pakistan conducted its own tests, successfully detonating eight nuclear warheads in the Chagahi mountains in Balochistan, near the border with Afghanistan.
Pakistan’s own nuclear programme was started in response to India’s programme, who had managed to conduct their first successful nuclear test in 1973.
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proud of our nukes! pakistan zindabad
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Thanks to all the people who were involved Pakistan a Nuclear State.
I feel myself that I am a proud Pakistani.
Pakistan Zindabad.
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This interview is quite old
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Its best he doesnt give too much details , even historical ones, as the west is keeping a close eye on our programs.
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Interesting mindset — I wonder how he would explain the recent survey which placed Pakistan as one of the most disliked/despised countries in the World ranked lower than even North Korea? The reality is that nukes don’t make you safe, don’t give you honor or a good reputation – they just cost a lot of money to build and maintain. I would also like Khan to explain the “honor and dignity” in selling nuke technology to despicable regimes in N Korea, Libya and Iran?
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You’re the only people who celebrate your nukes. Even Iran recently called them Un-Islamic. It was probably a lie, but they said it.
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“On the question of proliferation, Dr Khan said that Pakistan only provided guidance with respect to programme, and source of equipment to those countries who contributed materially and technologically. “
What are the countries contributed materially and technologically, and to which country PAK provided guidance in return?
“Dr Khan said that Pakistan can talk to the world with honor and dignity after possessing the atom bomb.”- last I read that honor and dignity was house arrest for him.
If the bomb gives honor and dignity, then PAK needs a crash course in Human Value and dignity. Have fun with the bomb. Whom will PAK use it against-India, Israel, US, Russians, China, Afghanistan, Iran or to conquer Istanbul?
Next time PAK should not be surprised if the entourage plane is searched.
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Did not he few months back said that politicians were corrupt,Zab and jinnah were politician.
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What did you say Dr Qadeer?!
PPP detesting ET readers would appreciate if you continue with the rhetoric that politicians did not do anything for this country and transfer the credit of the nuclear program and the missile program from Shaheed ZAB and Shaheed BB to some khakis.
Jeay Bhutto!
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For a technology that was stolen from Dutch labs, that’s a pretty steep bill. Maybe the cost was the compensation paid for the act itself.
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Under wise and sagacious leadership
of Nawaz Sharif and the scientists of the Atomic
Energy Commission…
The person who actually pressed the button was from
the Atomic Energy Commission.
We know that AQ khan loves to hog limelight
but General Zia made sure that A Q fronts the endevour
so other scientists are well protected and focused.
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This man needs to keep quiet. His 15 minutes were up long ago. Like most old people he seeks to be relevant to the point where it’s annoying. Besides, he wasn’t the only one working on the nuclear program, yet he gets all the credit. Recommend
” ….with honor and dignity after possessing the atom bomb.” Pakistan is laughed at by almost all the world and we are in a delusion that the world is jealous of our ‘bomb’. BTW, our honour is stained everyday by the drones. Our people are committing suicide when they can’t give food to their hungry children. People die waiting for the doctors and medicine; just visit any public hospital. We are producing semi-literate graduates. And then this nation has been made to “believe” in bombs and missiles. We have spent around US$ 20 billion on our nuclear programme and it cost us US$100-200 million per year on its operational cost. Build the nation not bomb.
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1983- March 11, PAEC’s Directorate of Technical Development, successfully conducts the first “cold” test of a nuclear device. A second cold test is conducted shortly afterwards and is witnessed by Vice Chief of Army Staff, General KM Arif, Ghulam Ishaq Khan and Munir Ahmad Khan. From 1983-1992, DTD carries out 24 cold tests of different designs of nuclear weapons. If someone wants a photo proof contact me via e-mail.
This AKQ has destroyed Pakistan’s reputation international by indulging in narcissistic acts. The person who should be audited by NAB should be him.
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Dr Khan said that Pakistan can talk to the world with honor and dignity after possessing the atom bomb.
Honor and Dignity doesn’t come from bombs Dr Khan.
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Dr. Qadeer should have known better. There are things which are best not said.
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it is good habbit that our honoury national hero dr.abdul qadeer khan does not open much secrets in programme front line with kamran shahid .as the western countries are keeping eye on development projects of pakistan.
services of shaheed zulfikar ali bhutto must be appriciated .and dr.qadeer khan is respectable personality .hats off to qadeer khan in making pakistan seventh atomic nation of world
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I can see the pain of the world especially India’s, who were confirmed at the time of their nuclear tests that Pakistan doesn’t have the capability or the courage to do same. But our honorable scientists and engineers have made that happened. Now India is at bay, crying and licking Mumbai wounds, but couldn’t do anything despite extreme domestic pressure.
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@Blithe Zia’s soul is here!
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He promised roTy, kapRA, makAn to people but gave a nuclear arm to Death Doctor.
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You brought nuclear power, but country last real power. These nuclear weapons are not assets but only toys and created employment chances to people like you. One more point, it is the dedicated work of many teams of people even before your arrival that made the tests successful, and as such we request you not to insult them by stealing their credits.Recommend
@Nasir: Have you ever realized what a masterstroke L.K. Advani played when he said those words? Without his words, Pakistan may still have tested its bomb, but he made it absolutely sure that it did. And doing that put Pakistan in the doghouse along with India. Indians knew all along that with their economy, they could easily work things out without any major impact. But Pakistan’s economy was crippled as a result of the following sanctions. Wouldn’t it have been a smarter move to just keep the bombs, take nuclear cover from both US and China and also the billions in aid that would have come, to restore your economy? But it takes an astute leadership to think such things through. Something that the khakis just don’t possess. The results prove it.
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now can we make some use of this power because the loadshedding is killing us.
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Dear lisa,
The nuclear power that we are talking of is not a constructinve power but it is highly destructive. We can only transform it to some other destructive power (nuclear, hydrolique, thermal, electric etc…) without creating a new constructive power.
Dr. Qadeer is not a Scientist but an Engineer. An Engineer does not think; but he uses the Science to act. He can make or demollish.
Alas, loadsheddig will continue killing…Recommend
@ Sandip..well said..
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