Abdul Qadeer Khan - The Nation Stand By You

{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Ahmad kamal 02.08.09 at 1:52 pm

Nobody is perfect in this world except Prophet Mohammad ( Peace be upon him). What Dr A. Q. Khan done in making pakistan nuclear bomb is comendable, we respect him and other pakistani involved in its making.On the other hand what Dr.A.Q. Khan had done in case of Nuclear Proliferation is not acceptable; we should not become emotional, he is not Prophet if he has done some thing wrong he should take the responsibility.

I think President Mushraff at that time made a wise decesion that after pardoning kept him house arrest till the time dust settle down.

What I forsee is that Dr.A Q. Khan is very found of talking to media and try to remain in picture for the reason unknown, will create problem for the govt of pakistan and ultimately he will be again placed house arrest.

My advise to Pakistanis are we should be realistic, honest and just. we must try to find out the truth and for that we should not take the thing on face value.

In the end I will say Dr. A.Q Khan is our national hero we respect him, he should also remain dignified forgot about past, enjoy his retirnment with his grandchildren and freinds; avoid talking to media and making any statements. let the govenment of pakistan deal with other countries in this regards as said by Prime Minister.

2 Balvinder Singh Lahori 02.08.09 at 1:58 pm

Excellent article Junaid. I also saw the recent news about a large number of American Nuclear bits and pieces have gone missing, and it wont surprise me if they pinned them down on Muslims too. History is the best indicator of the future, and US happens to be the only nation that has bombed another country (Japan) in reply to an attack that ordinary weapons.
I hope that now as Pakistani courts are free, they can continue to make free and just decisions. Dr Qadeer is a real Pakistani hero, as all his life he has served Pakistan despite the allegations made against him. If ANY ONE deserves the highest Pakistani awards, its people like him, who have always risked their lives, and give through hardships of life, only for their nation. Pakistan govt should recognise him as a nations hero and give him the highest civilian awards, instead of handing them out to foreigners who think they are doing Pakistan a “favour” when they have to pay charges for their dirty war.
We all know how American, India, and Israel are involved in trying to break up Pakistan by inciting terrorism within and around Pakistan. The trouble in Baluchistan, and NWFP is all part of the same game. Its a pity that India doesn’t realise the intentions of a far away country like the US, and that a broken Pakistan is actually more dangerous for them than a prosperous one.
Pakistan getting involved in Afghanistan’s “war on terror” is a mistake from the beginning as Pakistan is fighting someone else’s dirty war, as 9/11 was not on Pakistani land, and things were a lot better than they are now. Biggest number of refugees in the world etc. Pakistan govt should have kept out of Afghanistan just like Iran did.
It is absolutely silly to fight with your neighbour on behalf of a person who actually lives thousands of miles away. And I hope that my fellow Indians realise this too, otherwise they will see Pakistanis and Afghanis in “India” on every street, just like we see Afghanis in Pakistan. And I know for a fact from my own personal experience that Pakistanis are a lot more hospitable than Indians are to minorities. So I don’t think Hindus are ready at all, for seeing Pakistanis and Afghanis everywhere. And that’s exactly what awaits them in case they continue to destabilise Pakistan.

3 Asima Awan 02.08.09 at 9:50 pm

Dr A.Q Khan may not be a prophet but what the West calls ‘proliferation’ is not a crime either. If it is, then the earliest nuclear powers of the world, the earliest users of the nukes need to be questioned first. I once read an article about the US pilot who had pulled the ‘trigger’ on Japan and to day, he’s a psychological patient who can’t come out of his own miserable memories of the aerial view of Nagasaki after he bombed it. If he’s getting full protocol by the US govt. why should ours be punishing our hero who never pulled any trigger? Enabling weak nations for their defence is a service not a crime. Even if Dr AQ Khan sold the technology to Libya and Iran or others, why shouldn’t the world first question the ones who handed over this technology to him? and to other countries? Did India, for instance, develop it on its own? Is the on-going Indian-US military corporation completely ‘proliferation-proof’? Let’s not give the world’s first user of the nukes the right to question us.

4 Be Pakistan 02.09.09 at 3:17 pm

Firstly no doubt the proliferation is not acceptable but i totally agree with Asima that we have to see from where this chain begins. Today the loudly shouting US is the biggest exporter of the weapon to the world, then how can they blame others, if others do the same what they are doing.
Secondly whether Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan is involved in any “Proliferation” or not… this is also a question mark i think.

5 Raj 02.09.09 at 6:04 pm

Dr AQ Khan knows too much and if he opens his mouth (which is a matter of time), it will embarass several people in US, Pakistan, Libya etc. For his own safety, it would have been better if he was in house arrest - just my opinion, thats all

6 Jehangir 02.09.09 at 9:54 pm

@Raj,
it is clear that it will embarrass a few people in the US, but as written by others here, it is no embarrassed for Pakistanis IF (this is still a question and only a suspicion) he or Pakistan makes money by doing exactly what the US and many others are doing. After all, not every country has “invented” nuclear weapons, most of them have obtained them from others!
If it wasnt for him, India wouldn’t have had to be embarrassed by their war threats time and time again, Indians would have actually attacked us by now, so we and our next generations have a lot to thank him for.
To others he may be a good man, or a bad man, but he has been a real hero for our nation. After all, men like him are not born every day.
My Salute to him, Pakistan Zindabad, Ameen.

7 Chris Hayes 02.10.09 at 10:30 am

Out of interest whats the basis for saying India would have attacked Pakistan by now? Do you mean an invasion or limited strikes in retaliation for events such as the Mumbai attacks, in the same way the US conducts limited strikes?

8 Jehangir 02.10.09 at 12:39 pm

@Chris,
Are you asking for a history lesson here at pro-Pak ?
Besides, a nation that can support politicians that are racist through their elections, a govt that stages dramas like Samjhauta expres bombings, and the latest bollywood drama in Mumbai attacks would not have hesitated before attacking Pakistan for a second, if it wasnt for the retalitaion including Nukes that is to be expected. And thats where Dr Qadir comes in. As I said, great men like him are not born every day. IF the army power of Pakistan was not a worry for India, then they wouldnt have gone around protesting against the recent arms deals Pakistan was making with others.

you only need to know the history to learn the nature of India towards its neighbours. But your question implies that you are either unaware of Pak-India history, or simply dont know how Nukes are a deterrent for both India and Pakistan to start another silly war.

You are not an Indian by any chance are you??????

9 Chris Hayes 02.11.09 at 1:37 am

I’m aware of the various wars fought in the past culminating with the splitting of Pakistan. I was wondering given that past what sort of attacks you would have expected? An invasion looks unlikely due to a lack of reasons and better opportunity in the past, as well as a lack of formal militery actions against other countries. Limited strikes like the US does to Pakistan would be far more likely.
That would lead to the interesting question of do nukes allow Pakistan greater freedom of action in Kashmir and associated areas? Such activities would be unsustainable if each time the Indians could freely retaliate, knowing whats left of Pakistan could never win a conventional war where it (Pak) was the attacker and therefore has its response limited. So within their nuclear threat the various centres of power get to act towards India if it was an equal, with nukes canceling out a lot of Indias advantages without resort to unpredictable allies.
Funnily enough I think Pakistan will ensure - now its no longer a serious threat but rather a challenge/yardstick to measure against - that the Indian state becomes a lot more effective. For example it has really driven the development of Indias intellengence agencies.
No, I’m not Indian, I’m British though I have spent the best part of a decade in various parts of the sub continent and central asia.

10 Lt. General Ayub Khan 02.11.09 at 2:11 pm

Mr. Hayes — mutually-assured destruction ASSURES us that india wont do anything stupid. We arent a country they can push around without dire consequences.

dont bother mentioning indias ”intelligence” organizations….they allowed mumbai to happen, so what good are they?

from last saturday to date, we have arrested 14 RAW agents who were found with maps, fake documents, pistols, clips, and details of political figures. God knows that they were trying to acheive.

But unlike indias beaurocratic & incompetent intelligence services, ours are much stronger and more effective. Every single spy they send gets caught within hours of being in Pakistani soil. Rather than accept this reality they huff and puff and accuse ISI of everything that goes on in india –whether its a fire cracker or a stampede in hindu temple. LoL.

sore bhindians……

God bless AQ Khan. God bless all patriots of Pakistan. God bless the Joint Defence Forces of Pakistan. God bless the zameen.

PAKISTAN ZINDABAD!

11 Lt. General Ayub Khan 02.11.09 at 2:27 pm

for the record, our nukes are safe….unlike the americans who have

a.) accidentally sent nuclear tech to taiwan
b.) flew a lancer bomber aircraft across arizona (accidentally) armed with sidewinders containing nuclear payload
c.) lost a nuke in antarctica (lol)
d.) keep the nuclear weapon components armed and reasy

ours have always been safe. The command structure is very secure. The parts required for launch require coordination between leader, strategic forces commander, and joint chiefs of staff. The people in charge of the nukes are trusted, and routinely monitored. Even the janitors working near the installations are monitored closely for suspicious behaviour.

There is no way in HELL that the security can be breached. We arent clumsy like the yanks. We have offered them support on how to further strengthen the security of their nuclear assets and would be happy to provide advice and services in this regard.

as for surgical strikes —- if the indians had the nerve, they would do it already. They violated our air space one day, and as a result, our F-16s ‘painted’ their aircraft via missile lock. We had the option to shoot them down right there and then, but since their soviet ‘flying coffin’ migs ran away to indian border, we dis-engaged.

It was a great war exercize though! I’m sure those bhindians were grumbling that their little stunt back-fired, and showed them that PAF can be in the air in less than 3-4 minutes from the time our airspace is compromised

for those who are interested in Pakistani air defence assets, look up MANPADS (all 3 models produced in Pakistan under license….shot down indian migs in 1999)…..

also look up MBDA Spada 2000

12 Jehangir 02.11.09 at 11:18 pm

@Chris,
“Limited strikes like the US does to Pakistan would be far more likely.”
Well, perhaps all Pakistanis around the world, including Britain should start “limited” “surgical” strikes on ALL Bhindians around if such attacks are justified to Indians themselves (for a drama their own govt staged in the first place)!!! After all, any one attacking Pakistan because of what their own security couldnt take care of, or any one else agreeing to such attacks is also an enemy of Pakistan, and hence an enemy to Pakistanis. So i think the Pakistani “limited attacks” on Bhindians around the world would actually be far more justified…..so dont even think about it, let alone say it….
>>>>
“Expectations”:
We expect india and indian govt and indians who are barking around to have a bit more “intelligence” in their intelligence services. A bit more sincerity with their own, a bit more honesty. Pakistan does not have the contract of Indian terrorism, but it is India itself that has declared “aa bael mujhe marr” by sticking its hand in fire in kashmir. We certainly dont expect these RAT eating indians to start shouting the name of Pakistan whenever they have a burst cycle tyre. Thinking of anything like surgical strikes (and I repeat “EVEN THINKING”)is simply enough for the very ordinary people to retaliate against a nation who kills hundreds of its own people only to stage dramas like Samnjhauta express and Mumbai attacks…these kind of actions by the indian govt itself, are enough to show ordinary Pakistani / Muslim civilians that Indian govt, and those who vote them in, should not be spared, otherwise the future of our country, and our children is at risk. IF india and indians continue to think on the lines of attacking Pakistan, limited, surgical or otherwise then they should not cry like a baby when they are hit by the ordinary people, and should not come running to Pakistani govt (and then to the US) to “do more” !!!!
indian govt and indians are playing with fire, and the result can not be good for anyone who does, or supports that either. indians think every one else is coward like them too, we may have some cowards in our govt, but the fact is India is messing with those who do not care about their life, death is a certainty for every Pakistani and they dont run from it. They simply hate their enemy more than they love their life. And this is VERY hard to find in hindu majority of India, just look around you, when was the last time you saw a hindu ready to fight for his country???? India had Sikhs, who would fight for India, but Hindus betrayed them too, and are now busy turning them into “Hindustanees”.
>>>>>>
“No, I’m not Indian, I’m British though I have spent the best part of a decade in various parts of the sub continent and central asia.”
Funny nough m8, if you only read your own comments, u wouldnt believe how u sound just like a “Typical Indian” getting defensive round ere m8.
>
But thats something that the admin can shed some light on perhaps ;) ???

13 Raheel 02.12.09 at 12:05 pm

@Jehangir,
Mr Chris hayes I believe is telling you his “Nationality” and where he has spent a few years, and not his origin (race etc).
.
I agree that Chris’s comments do come across as he is at least biassed towards India (if not an indian origin himself) , doesnt like Pakistan, and worships India as much as possible.
Coming out with questions like what kind of attacks Pakistanis “expect”, is just same as saying “you are guilty, you will be punished, your country WILL BE attacked (for the drama that Indians prepared themselves), your families and homes will be destroyed, and how would you expect to be attacked, with “Jewish style surgical” attacks (yeh surgical indeed) or otherwise….
May be it hasnt dawned on My “Hayes” that India has ABSOLUTELY NO RIGHT to cross the international border, and if done, people like you, and the rest of the Indians will have to deal with every Pakistani civilian as well as our military for the coming future.
Now the real question from you is:
How would you expect to be punished personally to ask the question you asked ???????

14 Chris Hayes 02.12.09 at 12:55 pm

I do think perhaps posters need to actually read things before replying. The point was Pakistan nukes have stopped Indian attacks. The question that followed (from me) was what attacks has it stopped? Invasions or the type of attacks America loves to inflict (I thought given past history the latter would have been more likely). The following thought was then on had nukes given Pakistan greater freedom of action in Kashmir as now its a lot freer of the possibility of retaliation by the Indians through its deterant.

Indeed a key word in the sentenced was expected - the use of ‘ed’ at the end of exoect signifying past tense and reinforcing the whole thrust of the question.

You would only I think interpret this as defensive/attacker if you thought your position under threat in the first place.

As for me I’m from London (like it seems most of the Pakistani political class) (which I’m sure the mods can trace through my IP, and the fact that I found the blog whilst visiting Calcutta for work - hell they can go check my windows live page through my email and see I made it whilst living in Dhaka) with an Irish Dad and white Ugandan Mum. My experiences come through travel around the area relating to work in the development sector, work in post conflict countries in general and in the past acedemic study of certain aspects of the region.

As for punishment I’m sad to say I wouldn’t expect any, but I do expect since this is an English blog that posters can read English (and a very minor point don’t use texting typing or caps both of which ruin the flow of arguement).

As for my views on the countries I think India a place of extreme inequality and a system that formerly pandered to the elite creaking under the increased demand from an enlarged middle class. The political system is corrupt and discrinimatory to small minorities (large minorities on the other hand are pandered to on a state by state level) and the centre oft lacks the finess to deal with regional disputes which wax and wane with the economy and expectations. Equally I see it as a massively varied place that could be any number of smaller seperate countries.
Pakistan is similar in some ways (diversity etc) but fundementally failed to manage the rational for being a country as well as India did with repercussions that are still being felt today. It has a strong rural/urban divide and an elite class that seems too be based out of London. Governance wise its a mess with a decreasing control of the nation and a military that is too dominant (good for short term, very bed for long term typically). From a narrow outside perspective it failed to deal with India effectively (especially Kashmir which I would contend brought it a lot of grief over the years for little benifit), in part no doubt because it wanted to be an equal, something raw numbers and economics today don’t allow (who knows what could have happened in the past if it had ignored India and just tried to develope).
Bangladesh. I could go on about Bangladesh all day. Instead I’ll say I have no real idea of how to make it a better place whilst stopping its cities crumbling and it all dissapearing beneath the waves.
The others - only really been involved from a secuurity/refugee perspective so would give thoughts on a relatively narrow spectrum.

Back the the above post here is a BBC article on the chap. Must say hes got old.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7875019.stm
Like the line ‘Among the items handed over by Libyan officials was a bag from a Pakistan tailors containing design information for a nuclear weapon.’ Which tailors, and why do they do bespoke nukes?

15 Balvinder Singh Lahori 02.12.09 at 10:49 pm

Mr Hayes,
You wrote: “I was wondering given that past what sort of attacks you would have expected?”
Now unless you are claiming to know more English than others here, this sentence implies that first there would have been an expectation of attacks, and you simply seek to know the type. As far as I can read, the expectations have already been detailed by Jehangeer to you.
*
You wrote: “I do think perhaps posters need to actually read things before replying”
Perhaps you actually need to “think” before you reply and not just “read”.
*
You wrote: “As for punishment I’m sad to say I wouldn’t expect any”
Well, I hope you were not too sad to read the replies you have had to your question then.
Now why would you ask what attacks Pakistanis “would have expected” (as a retaliation to the Mumbai incident) assuming that there would be attacks of any kind, and then not expect any retaliation to your own ridiculous assumption?
Why would these Pakistanis have expected any kind of attacks????????????
Lets see the Indian govt punish those who let this happen, and those who actively supported these attacks from within India, and lets see indian govt investigate RAW actions in Baluchistan etc to punish them, before the likes of you can assume and ask questions from Pakistani public what sort of attacks they would have expected?”
As far as I understand from the reply you have had, that Pakistanis do not expect, nor “would have expected” any kind of attack in retaliation to something Pakistan is not responsible for. And if attacked, they have the full right to attack back in the way that they feel justified, and not what the Indian govt “expects”.
*
As you claim to be independent (at least that’s what I read between the lines in your reply above, feel free to correct me if I am wrong), then perhaps you can start acting independent too and think (not assume that Indians have any kind of right over Pakistanis or vice versa) before you write.
If not then please move on to a Hindu blog, where I assure you will meet like minded people who can shed some light on what type of attacks Pakistanis “would have expected”.

16 Chris Hayes 02.13.09 at 2:44 am

I don’t claim any independance or special insight, I’m reading different pieces on info on the net regarding the area I most often work in. This site is after all a blog which is not an acedemic referenced piece of work but a more organic collection of ideas and articles. I can pass comment and ask questions but sadly not produce epoch defining answers. Though if you would like to see the sort of thing I do write I could get you a pdf of my last research piece, from 2007, on replacing the food rations recieved by the Rohingya refugees from Burma in Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh with cash hand outs, which I feel makes some original points about the modalities of aid provision and which took three months of working in and around some of the worst long term refugee camps I’ve seen. They hit the news recently with the Thais (big rat eaters incidentally) leaving them to die at sea. They are a wretched lot, denied even proper education by the Bangladeshi government and pretty much hated by all. No hope either of being relocated to a third country as they are conservative muslems and no country, including Islamic ones, like to take in people like that.
>
Back to the above. I shall illistrate the flow of discussion using the ability to cut and paste.

Original article
If it was not for the efforts of our brave scientists led by Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, Pakistan would have found it hard to resist our enemy India, who would miss no chance to subdue us
Jehangir on February 9th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
If it wasnt for him, India wouldn’t have had to be embarrassed by their war threats time and time again, Indians would have actually attacked us by now, so we and our next generations have a lot to thank him for.
Then me
Out of interest whats the basis for saying India would have attacked Pakistan by now? Do you mean an invasion or limited strikes in retaliation for events such as the Mumbai attacks, in the same way the US conducts limited strikes?
>
The following answer indicated that given India’s history people would have expected an attack (though gave no reasons why none where forthcomming prior to the 90’s and after Pakistan was split). So then when asked more about what sort of attacks could be expected and also about the relative freedom of action nukes give a country in various activities. Instead though things vered off into was I an Indian (irrelevant), what right I had to discus what India might or might not do to Pakistan (possibly irrelevant - if that is the comments section is not for debate or further questions), mixing goverments and people (the above piece being on inter state relations to mix it with Pakistanis/Indians everywhere ignores that rarely do whole populations agree with their government or even all know what is on its mind) and so on.
So I the questions I asked still aren’t answered. I’ll lay them out in point form.
-Would India have attacked in the last 20 years (that has otherwise been stopped by pakistani nukes)?
-What would those attacks have consisted of (invasion, land grab, limited strikes, doing a Bangladesh to Balochastan, allying with the Afghans and looking at the Durand line etc)?
-Have nuclear weapons given Pakistan greater freedom of action in areas like kashmir and Siachen?
Now the above aren’t biased. If you think they are you have a preconception that such questions are heritical. But you could very well turn it around as replace India with Pakistan and ask have nukes stopped Pakistan attacking India and what sort of attacks has it stopped? The answer could be no attacks as pakistan wouldn’t have attacked anyway, the military getting more invloved in the border skirmishes, going at it hammer and tonges over the attack on Indias parliment and so on. All would be peoples opinions with maybe some evidence as the whole exercise is theoretical as Pakistan does in fact have nuclear weapons. What it does do is look at one of the reasons for having them (not even all of the reasons as they have application beyond deterance) which anyone would do when seeing was the money spent on nukes and the consequences a good idea or not?
Or indeed is it worth discussing this at quarter to three in the morning? :)

17 Chris Hayes 02.13.09 at 2:58 am

>>>>>>
Now why would you ask what attacks Pakistanis “would have expected” (as a retaliation to the Mumbai incident) assuming that there would be attacks of any kind, and then not expect any retaliation to your own ridiculous assumption?
Why would these Pakistanis have expected any kind of attacks????????????
>>>>
?
Mumbai was an example but I’m sure 2 minutes of searching would reveal others. Why would they expect to be attacked? because another country is blaming them and would seek some sort of retribution? And then you go back to the above point that nuclear weapons stop such actions from being taken.
Indeed it seems a common thread that people expect India to have attacked if it was for a nuclear deterance. So they are wrong to expect this? I made no comment about the likelyhood of such an attack - instead I asked if it was a fair assumption and then what form it would take. I understand that this is a first language for me but a second language for you and indeed the standard of English here is very good but still when you have point ‘Are you asking for a history lesson here at pro-Pak ?’ followed by given that what attacks would you have expected it is not me saying Pakistan should expect to be attacked by India (though other posters have made that point).
To sum up your position you essentially beleive I think India should attack Pakistan and miss entirely the whole bit about nuclear deterance and its effect on the likelyhood of such strikes in the duration of its existence?

18 Raheel 02.13.09 at 11:21 am

@Chris,
Instead of getting your knickers in a twist and writing essays 3 in the morning :) you only need to look at the history to find out about the Indian attacks and intentions on Pakistan. Hence you were rightly asked if you were looking for a history lesson here :)
Indian govt itself has confused itself with Pakistan govt / people. They have been blaming Pakistan govt all along while the attack was not launched by the govt. In retaliation, Indian govt has been threatening, and attempted a surgical strike which would have been on the people.
An Indian attack to Pakistanis I think is an attack, be it surgical, or a full on war using military along the border. None is welcomed especially for a Bollywood movie scripts like Mumbai 10.
I am glad you realise that you used mumbai as an example, the replies you have received are also using this same example I guess.
Overall, I think you seem to be the only person here who seem to actually question nukes as a deterrant for any Indian attacks, one way or another.

19 xainab mirza 02.17.09 at 5:58 am

We are extremely happy with the release of Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan. may Allah give him long and happy life for the years which he has spent under detention.

Long Live Qadeer Khan

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