ISLAMABAD: The national flag of Pakistan flew at half-mast as the 85-year-old father of Pakistan’s Atomic Bomb, Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, who expired this morning due to COVID-19 7.4AM Sunday (10th October, 2021), has been laid to rest the very day here at H-8 graveyard.
Earlier, his Namaz-e-Janaza, led by Dr Muhammad Al-Ghazali, was offered at Faisal Mosque. Ministry of Interior, by means of a PR told: “In pursuance of announcement by Prime Minister of Pakistan, State Funeral shall be accorded to Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan. The national flag of Pakistan shall fly at half-mast on Sunday, 10th October, 2021.”
Taking to the Twitter Prime Minister Imran Khan informed that Dr. A Q Khan would be buried (at 3.30PM Sunday 10th of October, 2021) in Faisal Mosque as per his wishes. However, later the Interior Ministry announced that the national hero shall be burred in the H8 graveyard according to the wishes of his family. Meanwhile, graves at both the places were prepared.
Earlier, PM Tweeted: “Deeply saddened by the passing of Dr A Q Khan. He was loved by our nation bec of his critical contribution in making us a nuclear weapon state. This has provided us security against an aggressive much larger nuclear neighbor. For the people of Pakistan he was a national icon.”
Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan was born on 1st day of April, 1936 in Bhopal. During the Partition of the Sub-Continent, his family migrated to Karachi and lived in Kharadar (that was earlier part of Lyari). Following his earlier education he proceeded to Holland and after acquiring an engineering degree in 1967, went on to Belgium for doctorate in metallurgical engineering.
A Q Khan was alarmed to learn about Indian Nuclear Test (Smiling Buddha) carried out in 1974 and offered his expertise to Z A Bhutto administration to develop a facility to make Pakistan’s atom bomb. He created Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) in 1976.
While Stockholm International Peace Research Institute says India happens to harbor between 80 and 100 nuclear warheads, while Pakistan holds between 90 and 110, it has been insinuated that in the next five years Pakistan will be harboring more than 200 warheads.
Later in 2004, reacting on the evidence of nuclear proliferation provided by US, Dr. A Q Khan was subjected to a debriefing by military dictator general Pervez Musharraf. A Q Khan went to IHC against the Federal Government of Pakistan whose 2009 verdict declared his debriefing unconstitutional.
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