Have you been following the recent global political situation? Wars are being waged to stop nations from becoming nuclear states, even if it’s for protection purposes. This is a moment to reflect. With such pressure and power, how was Pakistan able to achieve the title of “a Nuclear state”?
You’re telling me we did it all, right under the nose of the CIA, Mossad, RAW and the Soviet Union?
Yes, we have a Pakistani Oppenheimer story sitting on our very laps, all thanks to Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, the father of Pakistan’s nuclear bomb. The “Mohsin-e-Pakistan” is slowly being written in fading ink.
The Man Behind the Atom Bomb
Born in 1936 in Bhopal, British India, Dr. Khan migrated to Pakistan after Partition and pursued engineering and metallurgy with relentless passion. His academic journey took him from Karachi University to Europe, where he earned a doctorate in metallurgical engineering.
Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan had all the opportunities in the West, but his heart stayed true to his country, to his soil. At this point, Pakistan had already suffered the trauma of losing East Pakistan in 1971, and the country vowed to never feel this helpless again.
Dr. Khan, then working in the Netherlands at a nuclear enrichment facility, offered his expertise to help Pakistan establish its own nuclear programme. Under the direction of then-Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Dr. Khan became the architect of what would become Pakistan’s nuclear deterrent.
A brilliant metallurgist trained in Europe, Dr. Khan could have stayed abroad, enjoyed his career and left his homeland to fend for itself. But he didn’t. He came back, leaving comfort behind, to build Pakistan’s nuclear programme from scratch; under immense pressure, sanctions and global opposition.
It wasn’t easy. It took sleepless nights, relentless effort, and navigating a political minefield. But in May 1998, when Pakistan conducted its nuclear tests in Chagai, the mountains turned white and the nation chanted “Nara-e-Takbir.” It all proved to be worth it.
The West and the Pakistani Government Called Him a Rogue
Dr. Khan’s contribution culminated in the successful nuclear tests of May 1998, making Pakistan the first Muslim-majority country to become a nuclear power. It was a moment of national triumph.
Streets erupted in celebration. For many Pakistanis, he was nothing less than a saviour; the national hero and the most liked man after Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
However, the global narrative was starkly different. The international media called him a “rogue scientist.” In 2004, allegations emerged linking Dr. Khan to a black-market nuclear proliferation network that allegedly supplied nuclear technology to Iran, Libya, and North Korea.
Then, he was made to do a televised confession (which many believed was making him a scapegoat), but let’s not forget: he was never a criminal in the eyes of his people.
The same global powers that demonised him for proliferation conveniently forget their own nuclear histories. The West has always played judge, jury and executioner when it comes to nuclear politics.
But what about the nuclear deals made behind closed doors? The Double standards? The silence on Israel’s undeclared arsenal?
Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan did what he did for Pakistan, not for personal gain. He didn’t become a billionaire, nor did he seek political power. All he wanted was to see Pakistan stand tall. And for that, he paid the price, through house arrest, isolation and silence.
Until he left us all for his final abode and took his last breaths on October 10 2021. He left a nation that never deserved him.
Why are We So Quick to Forget Our Own?
What hurts the most is not how the world treated Dr. Khan, it’s how quickly we forgot him. A man who was once on every billboard, whose name echoed with national pride, now barely makes it into textbooks.
In a country that so readily elevates celebrities and politicians, why does a national saviour get left behind?
Imagine if we didn’t have a nuclear deterrent. What if it were we at the centre of the ongoing global conflict? The thought alone feels terrifyingly defenceless. And yet, that’s not our reality, thanks to one man we once branded a “traitor” and forced to apologise on national television.
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