|
Memories of May 28
Random
thoughts
Dr A Q Khan
Eleven years ago, on May 28, 1998, Pakistan tested its nuclear
weapons in the mountains of Chaghi, Baluchistan and joined the
exclusive club of nuclear powers. This event raised the morale of
the whole nation and was a befitting reply to the Indian tests that
had been carried out two weeks earlier and the subsequent bragging
by Home Minister Advani. We became the first Muslim country to have
nuclear weapons and that gave us a respected position in the comity
of Muslim countries. People all over the world believed that we had
nuclear capability, but now seeing was believing. On Dec 10, 1984, I
had already given in writing to Gen Zia that KRL could detonate a
device at short notice. Mr Ghulam Ishaq Khan, who was in charge of
the nuclear programme from 1976 to 1993, put this down in writing in
a letter to Mr Zahid Malik. This letter was published in many books
and articles. Its contents were confirmed in an interview given by
Gen Arif to Adrian Levy, as published in the latter's book
Deception. On April 6, 1998, even before the nuclear tests were
carried out, KRL had test-fired a long-range ballistic missile named
"Ghauri." I would like to place on record here that all this was
possible only because of the full support of the late Prime Minister
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the late Gen Zia, the late Ghulam Ishaq Khan,
the late Agha Shahi, the late Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, Mr Nawaz
Sharif, Gen Mirza Aslam Beg and Gen Abdul Waheed Kakar. The
essential and central role played by KRL in these achievements have
been aptly recorded by former presidents, prime ministers and
services chiefs. Many articles and books have since been written on
this topic, some giving correct information but even more giving
false information. The western media has been extremely active in
spreading insinuations and disinformation.
On March 27, 2001, Gen Pervez Musharraf, as chief executive, hosted
a farewell dinner in honour of Dr Ishfaq and myself, at which
senior-most civil servants, ministers, services chiefs, etc., were
present. Given below is a transcript of the part of the speech
relevant to KRL and me. One would be surprised to note his change of
tone used in later events/interviews/publications.
"As we gather tonight to honour our most-senior and eminent
scientists, our national heroes, my thoughts go back to the eventful
day in May 1974 when India conducted its first nuclear test and in
the process, altered the security landscape of South Asia to
Pakistan's critical disadvantage. Coming so soon after the 1971
dismemberment of our country, the event served to deepen our sense
of insecurity and vulnerability. To our conventional asymmetry was
added yet another dimension of imbalance, and Pakistan was left to
fend for itself. The international community, to no one's surprise,
went through the motions of ritual censuring and posturing, but at
the end of the day, it was Pakistan which was left totally exposed
to Indian nuclear blackmail and threats.
The situation was critical. Our security paradigm had changed and,
with no nuclear weapons programme worth the name, Pakistanis
literally looked to the sky for help. We did not lose faith. And
sure enough, Allah Almighty answered the nation's prayers, had mercy
on our situation and made a miracle happen. In walked a giant of a
man, none other than Dr Abdul Quadeer Khan, the man who would give
Pakistan a nuclear capability single-handedly. His arrival in those
difficult days gave hope and cautious optimism to a doubting nation
that was used more to scams and empty promises than to performance
and delivery.
Ladies and Gentlemen! Subsequent years and events and Dr Abdul
Quadeer Khan's achievements are now well recorded and form a
glorious chapter of Pakistan's history.
Dr Khan and his team toiled and sweated, day and night, against all
odds and obstacles, against international sanctions and sting
operations, to create, literally out of nothing, with their bare
hands, the pride of Pakistan's nuclear capability, the Kahuta
Research Laboratores, later renamed most appropriately, the Khan
Research Laboratories. Within a few years, he and his brave men gave
Pakistan its first-ever fissile material in the form of highly
enriched uranium and thereby levelled the scores with India. His is
a rare success story, in that he set out to achieve an objective for
his country and, within his lifetime, has been able to see its
fulfilment and received unprecedented accolades, admiration and
everlasting gratitude from his countrymen. Never before, in my
judgement, has any nation owed so much to one single man's
achievements. Dr A Q Khan's Nishan-e-Imtiaz and Bar, the only
Pakistani to have been bestowed the honour, is the acknowledgement
of a grateful nation and is thoroughly well-deserved.
Let me put on record formally. This nation is grateful to you for
what you have done for us, today and for all times to come. You are
our national hero and an inspiration to our future generations.
Nobody can ever take that away from you and your place in history is
assured. You will always be at the very top. We salute you and thank
you from the depths of our hearts.
As I say quite often, in a general sea of disappointments, the
development of Pakistan's nuclear capability is a unique national
success story. It is a story of selfless devotion, unbridled
dedication, scientific brilliance, technological mastery and above
all, supreme patriotism and religious fervour of thousand of silent
workers.
These men of science, these Mujahids, have put Pakistan in the
exclusive nuclear club. They have made Islamic nations proud. They
represent the best qualities of Pakistanis and have shown that, when
we want to, we can move mountains and indeed change their colour.
Such is the strength of their faith and sense of duty.
Pakistan Zindabad."
I would like to reproduce an extract of my article published in July
2001 on the 25th anniversary of the establishment of KRL.
"The story of Kahuta Project is in fact a manifestation of the
nation's resolve to safeguard every inch of the motherland. Any
large and difficult undertaking encounters difficulties and
sometimes success may not come till after one has died, but these
difficulties do not matter if one is sincere. My colleagues and I
were fortunate that, by the grace of Almighty Allah and through our
sustained efforts, we saw success in our lifetime. Today our
untiring efforts at Kahuta have not only yielded mastery in the
nuclear field and of uranium enrichment technology, but have also
provided a tremendous technical rub-off, which is being utilised in
a thousand different ways. In terms of conventional warfare, Kahuta
is contributing much to national defence, while it is also playing a
significant role in national reconstruction by providing a thriving
technological base. Latest research is being carried out in
sophisticated fields like lasers, electronics, optics, and
disciplines of engineering, like electrical, mechanical, metallurgy,
bio-genetics, etc.
I would like to emphasise here that the success of the Kahuta Plant
is due to the enormous sacrifices made by the families of the
scientists, engineers and non-technical staff working at the Plant.
It was only due to their understanding. love, affection and
encouragement that all those working at Kahuta could concentrate
fully on the enormous task entrusted to them. The engineers and
scientists did a wonderful task; a task any nation would be proud
of.
As far as I am concerned, I take great pride in acknowledging the
great sacrifice made by my wife. Being a foreigner, she was in an
extremely awkward situation with no friends, acquaintances or
relatives. Despite looking after two small daughters, she was always
a pillar of strength and support to me and I have no hesitation in
saying so.
I would like to mention that our efforts in the enrichment and
missile fields have been challenging, adventurous and hazardous but
in the end, extremely gratifying. My colleagues and I are really
proud of our contribution to the scientific and technological
progress of our beloved country. We are sure that our efforts and
achievements will always be remembered by a proud and grateful
nation and they will always be a source of inspiration to our future
generations.
Pakistan Paindabad."
Recently there have been unconfirmed rumours of a rollback in
Pakistan's nuclear programme, but all is not yet lost. If our
leaders have our national interests at heart above all else, much
can be achieved, but it requires commitment, honesty of purpose,
efficiency, dedication and foresight.
The
News:Wednesday, May 27, 2009
|
