I am watching television right now and every news channel is reporting the latest interview by Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan. This interview came as a surprise to many people here in Pakistan and is sending shock waves around the world (wait and see after 4th July holiday in US).
Dr. Khan, who remains popular across Pakistan has lived in the shadows since 2004, confined to his Islamabad home. People of Pakistan last saw him in a tearful televised confession in which he admitted selling nuclear technology to Iran, North Korea and Libya. President Musharraf has been telling Pakistanis since 2004 that Dr. Khan did it for money and personal greed. In his interview on May 30 2008, given to British newspaper Guardian, Dr. Khan claimed that he took the blame on himself in the national interest. Dr. Khan has been in the news for last few weeks because of his detention case in the Islamabad High Court but today he returned to the spotlight with a new twist: that North Korea received centrifuges from Pakistan in a 2000 shipment supervised by the security forces during the rule of President Pervez Musharraf.
According to Dr. Khan, the uranium enrichment equipment was sent from Pakistan in a North Korean plane that was loaded under the supervision of Pakistani security officials. He claims that the security forces had “complete knowledge” of the shipment and that it must have been sent with the consent of President Pervez Musharraf. Dr. Khan also disclosed that North Korea gave 200 missiles to Pakistan during Kargil War on his request without any payment. However, the government sources have completely rejected the statement, saying such reports are part of propaganda against Pakistan’s nuclear program.
Dr. Khan has often insisted in recent past too that if anything at all was smuggled to North Korea, Iran or Libya, it was in complete knowledge of Pakistan Army, particularly the ISI Chief Gen. Mahmood Ali Durrani (later the Pak Ambassador to US and currently national security adviser) and other officials in-charge of logistics etc. as it was not possible for him to do something like that alone. The centrifuges are large cylinders which cannot be just transported in a brief case. They need special care for transportation. American officials have even given the flight numbers which allegedly transported the nuclear material.
Talking to media Dr. Khan said that he didn’t say anything new and he just explained what Gen. Musharraf has already disclosed in his book, In The Line of Fire. According to Geo TV:
Renowned nuclear scientist, Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan has said that President Pervez Musharraf had already published in his book about the dispatching of centrifuges to North Korea and that his (Dr. Qadeer’s) statement was carried by the foreign news agency in a distorted manner. Talking to Geo News, Dr. A. Q. Khan said when he was asked by a foreign news agency whether the centrifuges were sent to N. Korea he replied that this had already been published in the President’s book. Dr. Khan said any question regarding the dispatch of centrifuges be put to President Pervez Musharraf. “Nothing could be sent without the supervision of the security forces,†he said. He expressed hope that his detention will end soon.
I don’t know how much damage this latest interview will cause to already under-threat nuclear program of Pakistan. But I believe that the way Gen. Musharraf and his regime has treated Dr. Khan since 2004, something like that was bound to happen. No matter whether Dr. Khan is a national hero as majority of Pakistanis still believe he is or a thief as some claim, we must not forget that he is a human being after all.
Allegedly, he was not even allowed to walk out of his home and meet anyone at all since 2004. His elder daughter Dina Khan was not allowed to meet him for one year. Just last week, the Deputy Attorney General claimed in Islamabad High Court and in front of media that Dr. Khan is absolutely free to meet anyone and no restrictions are placed on him. The same evening, many local TV channels showed live how Dr. Sahab was stopped by security officials to go to a dental clinic when he was suffering form severe pain his teeth. The officials ignored him for more than 24 hours until he came out, sat in the middle of road and refused to go back inside. Only then the permission was granted to take him to a dental clinic and the whole drama was shown live on a local channel Express News.
I believe that the authorities should immediately talk to Dr. Khan, lift restrictions on him so that everything could be settled. Sensitive matters like this should never come on media like that and we should close this matter ASAP. I think its a very dangerous trend that we make people believe in something for decades and then suddenly expect them to believe otherwise. Lets hope wisdom prevails before its too late.
Reference: Yahoo News Story on the topic here.
The interview given by Dr. A Q Khan was ill-advised. A nuclear scientist has nothing to do with foreign press. It was a lapse on the part of the security agencies. Dr. Khan has done a lot for the country, but this does not entitle him to pull everything down. He must act responsibly.
Some of the statements which he has given smacks of his links with the nuclear black marketeers.
Kindly read
http://www.kashifhafeez.com/mazameen_large.php?pat h=2008-07-10&img=kh_articles/large/2008-07-10.gif
Shaista Zahid @
Thank you for your such nice comments. Your language portrays your personality. moron (eh) .
Probably you are from the interservices intelligence who knows all and rest are all idiots. (wow)
If Dr. Qadeer was innocent why did he came on the national television to admit what he is involved in international nuke proliferation. Will you do the same if you were asked and ofcourse you are innocent ? NO.
I have all the respect for Dr. Qadeer , his silence at this juncture would have made him much greater of a hero in the eyes of the Pakistani nation. He is not a man of integrity. Thats a settled question. COMPARINGLY !!!
Chaudary Iftikhar, Chief Justice of Pakistan is a man of integrity who refused to submit to Musharaf’s orders. Had Iftikhar been a corrupt person he would have been completely eliminated from the scene by Musharaf.
WAH TO IZO MAN TASHA-O, WA TO ZILO MAN TASHO
Dear Truth
Apologies for the grave mistake in regards to the month but directly affronting someone as to their telling a lie can sometimes be detrimental to those who have gone thru tough times on behalf of those who dont seem to give a penny about those around you. Going thru all the posts submitted to ATP one can seriously say that we all have a right to freedom of speech. There are those who are Blatantly pointing fingers at The Dr or the president how about looking at things in a third person’s view. We are a very emotional nation by nature and who so ever says something lightly in regards to us, Islam or Pakistan we are ready to fight nail and tooth for our right. One contributer rightly said we have sold Aimal Kassi and others for a few thousand dollars and sit back and enjoy. One of my Colleagues at a foriegn Telecom company from Islamabad Office has not seen his brother in a year because he had enrolled at the LAL MASJID.Repeated complains have been made to the authority and yet we are unable to get any clue as to his whereabouts. Whom do we turn to. I make it a point to watch a T.V programme “BRASSTACKS” on TV1 at 20.00 on sundays and I agree with the expert ofthe programe that we have consciously given up all we have for some green bucks and then we complain.Ever thought Y. We elect tried and tested people year after year. Its not as if we are not trusting them but its more of “APNE PAER PE KHUD KULHARRI MARNE WALI BAAT.” KE JANTE BOOJHTE HUM UNHI LOAGON KO WAPIS LATTE HAIN JINHON NE HUMAIN BAICHNE MAIN KOI KAMI NAHIN RAKHI.
Photo of Khan family
http://www.storiesthatmatter.org/index.php?option= com_content&task=view&id=101