ISLAMABAD: Abdul Qadeer Khan, the father of Pakistan’s nuclear programme, said Pakistan had the ability and had planned to conduct a nuclear test in 1984, but General Zia opposed the idea as it would have curtailed international aid Pakistan was receiving due to the ongoing Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.
“We were able and we had a plan to launch nuclear test in 1984 however; then President General Zia had opposed the move,” said the father of the country’s nuclear programme.
General Zia was of the opinion that the world would stop military aid if Pakistan opted for the nuclear test, Khan added. He also said that Pakistan is able to target Dehli from Kahuta in five minutes.
Khan was addressing a gathering on the occasion of Youm-i-Takbeer.
“Without my services Pakistan would never have been the first Muslim nuclear nation. We were able to achieve the capability under very tough circumstances, but we did it,” said Khan.
Referring to the treatment meted out to him during Musharraf’s era, Khan said nuclear scientists in the country have not been given the respect that they deserve.
“We are facing the worst against our services to the country’s nuclear program,” he added.
Referring to the Panama Papers, Khan stated that the politicians are looting the country, and the leak has exposed everything before the masses.
Abdul Qadeer Khan was at the centre of a massive global nuclear proliferation scandal in 2004. In a series of dramatic developments, he was accused by then army chief and president Pervez Musharraf of running a rogue proliferation network for nuclear material. Shortly after Musharraf’s announcement, a recorded confession by Khan was aired in which he took sole responsibility for all the nuclear proliferation that had been revealed.
Abdul Qadeer Khan was never the main man behind Pakistan in being a nuclear power. It is the late Dr Rafi Muhammad Chaudhary who is the father of nuclear physics of Pakistan. Abdul Qadeer Khan was only his student who after Dr Rafi Muhammad Chaudhary’s death took all the credit in his name. Before giving him the honorary status please do your full research. Dr Rafi Muhammad Chaudhary had received several awards and medals by the Govt. of Pakistan due to the level of services he provided to Pakistan. He also was the head of department of Physics in Govt. College Lahore and was provided with the famous High Tension Laboratory for his experiments which is now named in his name. Dr Rafi Muhammad Chaudhary was also the first person who secretly revealed to the relevant personnel that Pakistan has now become nuclear power in Bukhari Auditorium Govt. College Lahore. Now you can figure out why Abdul Qadeer Khan is saying that Pakistan could have tested the nuclear in 1984. Its a shame that we do not recognise the efforts of those legends who actually gave something to Pakistan. Please read the article below to know a little more about one of the actual Heros of Pakistan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafi_Muhammad_Chaudhry
Pakistan Zindabad.