Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan breathed his last on Sunday in Islamabad. He had health issues for several weeks. On deterioration of health, Dr Khan was rushed to a hospital in Islamabad a day before where he breathed his last . Dr Khan was an icon in true term.
Dr Khan was a hero of Pakistan. He made Pakistan’s defence impregnable by making it a nuclear state in 1998. Dr Khan was rightly called as father of Pakistan’s nuclear bomb. Dr Qadeer Khan migrated to Pakistan with his parents in 1952. He got early education from Karachi and then studied metallurgical engineering from Western European technical universities where he pioneered studies in phase transition of metallic alloys, uranium metallurgy, and isotope separation based on gas centrifuges. After learning of India’s ‘Smiling Buddha’ nuclear test in 1974, Khan joined his nation’s clandestine efforts to develop atomic weapons . Khan founded the Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) in 1976. Dr Khan was hailed as a national hero for transforming Pakistan into the world’s first Islamic nuclear power.
Dr Khan opted to leave lucrative job in Neitherland and work for Pakistan’s nuclear programme . His role in Pakistan ‘s nuclear programme started from 1996. He had credit to work with Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Ghulam Ishaq Khan and then with Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif. He always remained loyal to Pakistan. He had hard times too during his life. Pakistani nation can still recall Musharraf’s humiliating episode but all this ,which he never deserved, could not shaken Dr Khan’s love for Pakistan. Dr Khan always spoke about Pakistan and Pakistani people. He will always be remembered as ‘Mohsin e Pakistan’. Farewell ! Dr AQ Khan