A Q Khan regrets making nukes for ‘rogue’ Pak Army

Story by  ATV | Posted by  Aasha Khosa • 3 Years ago
Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan
Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan

 

Aasha Khosa/New Delhi

Father of Pakistan’s nuclear bomb and controversial scientist Dr. AQ Khan has lamented creating nuclear capabilities for his country since the nukes seem to have gone into the hands of ‘rogue Army.’

Khan, a Bhopal-born metallurgist, had migrated to Pakistan in 1951. He has played a key role in Pakistan’s nuclear programme and what is touted as the first Islamic nuclear bomb in reply to India’s capabilities tested in 1974. He has referred to Pakistan’s army as ‘rouge Army’ in a letter written to physicist Dr. Pervez Amirali Hoodbhoy.

Khan’s two letters addressed to Dr. Hoodbhoy were written in January 2008, at the interval of three weeks at the time when he was under house arrest in Islamabad. Dr. Hoodbhoy made these letters public through his two-part post, “No, General Sohaib, I am not a traitor” on YouTube and posted the same on the microblogging site Twitter in reply to a vilification campaign launched by a former Army officer Lt Gen (retd) Amjad Sohaib against him.

Dr Khan's first letter to Dr Hoodbhoy


A visibly angry Hoodbhoy has countered Gen Sohaib’s allegations against him that he is one of the “traitors of Pakistan from the inside who are being tolerated.”

Gen Sohaib, a regular face on Pakistani internet and television channels has threatened more exposure of such people.

Hoodbhoy is the most well-known scientist from Pakistan. Born into an Ismaili Muslim family who was affiliated to Agha Khan, Hoodbhoy claims to have distanced himself from Agha Khan. He often takes a stand against the government’s rigid policies on religious freedom and individual liberty. He is a nuclear physicist who has taught in Pakistan’s premier University Qaid-e-Azam unity for 47 years.

In his message, Lt Gen Sohaib alleges that Hoodbhoy hated Dr. Khan because he gave a nuclear bomb to Pakistan. He alleged that Hoodbhoy built a mock grave for Dr. Khan and slapped it with shoes to show his disrespect.

It may be recalled that Hoodbhoy has always taken a stand that Pakistan shouldn't get into a nuclear race with India.

Dr. Hoodbhoy rebuts Shohaib’s allegations and as proof of his cordial relation with Khan, he shows two letters written by him. Khan has written both the letters with his house address 101 Hillside Road E-7 Islamabad, Pakistan, where he was under house arrest from 2004-09.

In his letter to “My dear Prof Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy,’ dated January 3, 2008, he compliments Hoodbhoy for his article on the sham reforms in the Universities of Pakistan. In an obvious reference to his role in making Pakistan a nuclear power, Khan says, “I did what was good for the country: I am no longer sure whether it was right to do that. Only history will pass the judgment.”

In another letter dated January 22, 2008, Dr. Khan refers to the 1971 war that led to the liberation of Pakistan’s eastern wing as Bangladesh. He says, “I never thought of or dreamt of seeing a disgraceful and defeated army taking the country hostage for all times to come. As the saying goes, other countries have armies; here an Army has a country.”

dr. khan's 2nd latter to dr. hoodbhoy

Dr Khan's second letter to dr Hoodbhoy


He states that “Getting hold of a large number of nuclear weapons and long-range missiles, this rogue army has gone berserk and looks like having no longer fear from India, they are to stay here on top of us for all times to come.”

He further says: “I had thought I was doing a patriotic service; now it looks like it was a mistake. No use self pity!”

 

Although Khan is revered by Pakistanis as the father of the Islamic nuclear bomb, he is a controversial figure globally for ‘being part of an international gang that was selling the nuclear know-how to countries like Libya, North Korea, and Iran.’

After the USA and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) raised alarm at Khan’s efforts to sell nuclear know-how, Pakistan placed him under house arrest in 2004.

The two letters Hoodbhoy is referring to are written during this period.

Khan was granted freedom from house arrest by the court in 2009. Pakistan claims that he no longer poses a threat as his network was dismantled. However, USA has placed a ban on Khan’s financial assets. In Pakistan too, Khan is allowed to move around under police supervision.