Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan – The Hero of Pakistan’s Nuclear Technology!

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Great people are always great because they possess some extraordinary qualities that make their personal favorite and ideal. Generally speaking, noble people are great deliverers and saviors of mankind. They impress others with their unmatched ideas and works.

Pakistan’s history is bright with such great people who have brought laurels to the country and gave exceptional services. Among those, a great name appears who achieved the remarkable landmarks in the history of science, especially atomic energy. Because of his utmost dedication and untiring efforts, Pakistan has been able to protect itself from foreign threats particularly our enemy India. He is a great scientist and Pakistan’s nuclear hero Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan. Since I love my country, his personality serves as a beacon light for my life. I like his services, his ideas, and his determination.

Dr. Khan was born on 1^st April 1936 in UP, India in an educated family. After doing his Matriculation in 1952, he migrated to Pakistan. He did his Intermediate from D.J. Science College, Karachi and graduated from the University of Karachi. He was a very intelligent and an industrious student. He proceeded to Germany in 1961 on a scholarship for higher studies. Later, he moved to Holland and did his Masters with distinction in Metallurgy and also earned his Doctorate (Ph.D.).He started his career as a Research Laboratory at Amsterdam, Holland. He also worked at the British, German and Dutch Uranium Enrichment Facility in Holland.

Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto during his regime invited Dr. Khan from Holland to organize Pakistan’s Nuclear Programme that could give an answer to India in a befitting manner. Although he was serving at a very well reputed scientific and research organization in Holland, for the sake of Pakistan he returned in 1976. He took over this huge challenge, prepared his team and finally established A Q Khan Research Laboratories at Kahota (30 km from Islamabad) for the Research in Atomic Science.

Due to dedicated efforts of great Dr. Khan and his team, in a record short span of six years, Pakistan was able to make a nuclear bomb and that is why he is called an architect of Pakistan’s Nuclear Programme.  All civil and military governments and authorities fully backed Dr. Khan in this gigantic task. He became the focus of attention after India exploded five nuclear devices on May 11 and 13, 1998. Pakistan had responded India by exploding five nuclear blasts on May 28, 1998, at Chaghi test site, Baluchistan. This created great jubilation within the country and the Islamic World as Pakistan emerged as a 7^th nuclear state on the world map. But western countries condemned this and imposed sanctions against Pakistan.Dr. Khan is also the father of Pakistan’s medium-range Ghauri and other Missiles.

As a Muslim Dr. Khan believes in the religion of humanity. The great Khan, the great hero, deserves the special gratitude of the people of Pakistan. We salute him.He was decorated with Pakistan’s highest Civil Award Nishan-i-Imtiaz (Twice) by the President of Pakistan. He is the only Pakistani having this award twice.

In the end, I can say that the character, services, and achievement of Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan make him my hero. Great people live beyond the limits of time and space. They are immortal.