ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan, who was ill from some time, passed away on Sunday at the age of 85.
Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan was considered the father of Pakistan’s nuclear program and is revered at home as a hero for building the Muslim world’s first atomic bomb.
Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan’s health started to deteriorate last night, after which he was brought to hospital in the morning. Doctors tried their best to save the scientist’s life, however, were unable to do so and he passed away.
Politicians of the country have expressed sorrow over sad demise of Pakistan’s nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan.
Government and Opposition members paid rich tributes and lauded the role of Dr Khan in nuclear program of the country.
Prime Minister, in a tweet, said that Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan was loved by our nation because of his critical contribution in making Pakistan 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”, the premier added.
“He helped us develop nation-saving nuclear deterrence, and a grateful nation will never forget his services in this regard. May Allah bless him”, he added.
Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan became a national hero overnight, not only in Pakistan but in the Islamic world as well, when in May 1998 Pakistan gave a befitting response to India by conducting its nuclear tests.
Following the tests, Pakistan became the sole nuclear power in the Muslim world and the seventh country to possess nuclear weapons. Pakistan’s nuclear weapons have kept Indian aggression in check.
Born in 1936 in Bhopal, India, Dr Khan immigrated along with his family to Pakistan in 1947 after partition of the subcontinent.
In 1967, Khan obtained an engineer’s degree from a university in Netherlands and later joined the doctoral program in metallurgical engineering at a university in Belgium.
He was the first Pakistani to receive three presidential awards including Hilal-e-Imtiaz.
