Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan. — File Photo by Reuters

LAHORE: Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan on Wednesday stressed upon the ‘patriotic political parties’ to unite at one platform and set up a grand alliance to ‘save the country.’

He was addressing a joint press conference with Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) chief Syed Munawar Hasan after a meeting him at Mansoora in Lahore.

He said there was no dearth of resources in the country which had successfully built the nuclear bomb and missiles making the country’s defense impregnable. Dr Khan said the media has also guided the people in the right direction.

The nuke scientist also vowed to meet Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan for this purpose.

Dr Khan claimed that the re-election of US President Obama will not bring any change in the US policy for Pakistan.

Lauding the JI, he said the party comprised of patriotic people whose integrity remained unchallenged.

Briefly speaking on the occasion, Munawar Hasan said that Dr Khan was not an individual, but an association in his person and there was a great revolutionist within him.

Earlier, Hasan welcomed Dr Khan on his arrival at Mansoora and the two leaders discussed the situation prevailing in the country and other matters of mutual interest.

Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan. – File Photo

ISLAMABAD: The man who made Pakistan into a nuclear power and later admitted to leaking atomic secrets to Iran, North Korea and Libya is going into politics, aiming to shake up the country ahead of national elections.

That could provoke some grumbling in the United States, where Abdul Qadeer Khan is viewed as a pariah. At home, however, he is a national hero for his pivotal role in developing nuclear weapons and has been lionized by Islamists for making Pakistan the world’s only Muslim nuclear power.

It’s unclear whether the 76-year-old nuclear scientist will be able to translate this public adoration into political support.

The goal of Khan’s new movement – Tehrik-i-Tahaffuz Pakistan (TTP), or Movement for Protection of Pakistan – is not to field candidates, but to encourage young Pakistanis to participate in upcoming elections and reject ”incompetent politicians,” Khan told The Associated Press during an interview Tuesday.

National elections are scheduled to take place by June 2013, although they could be called earlier.

”The leaders of most of the big political parties are robbers and corrupt,” said Khan, who announced his new movement this week.

He took aim at President Asif Ali Zardari, co-leader of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party, and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, head of the main opposition party, the Pakistan Muslim League-N.

A senior politician from Sharif’s party, Zafarul Haq, said the group had always tried to field honest and capable candidates.

Fawad Chaudhry, an adviser to Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, who is also from the ruling party, dismissed Khan’s criticism.

”I am surprised over his allegations against the top political leadership of Pakistan, and I want to remind Dr. Qadeer that at least no politician has sold uranium or nuclear technology to other countries,” said Chaudhry.

Khan also criticized Imran Khan, a cricket star who has become a rising force in politics as the head of Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI), or Movement for Justice. Imran Khan has campaigned on an anti-corruption platform and has generated excitement among young people, but the scientist accused him of allowing corrupt politicians to join his party.

”The youth are 47 per cent of our population, and they can turn the table by rejecting robbers and incompetent politicians like Asif Ali Zardari, Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan,” said the scientist.

A leader of Imran Khan’s party in Islamabad, Salman Malik, denied they had invited any corrupt politicians to join them.

Abdul Qadeer Khan suggested that young Pakistanis field their own non-political candidates, such as scientists, engineers, teachers and retired bureaucrats.

Such candidates would likely have difficulty competing with the country’s main political parties.   Also, Khan could have difficulty achieving his political goals because the government limits his movement.

He was detained in 2003 and admitted on television in 2004 that he operated a network that spread nuclear weapons technology to Iran, North Korea and Libya.

Pakistan has insisted that Khan’s proliferation network has been shut down, but the US still has concerns because American investigators have never been able to question him. The US is especially worried about Iran’s nuclear program amid fears the country could one day seek to build a nuclear bomb.

After Khan admitted leaking atomic secrets, he was immediately pardoned by former President Gen. Pervez Musharraf and placed under de facto house arrest. The government ended his house arrest in 2009 but still limits his movement to some extent.

The scientist said he would visit schools and convene seminars in Pakistan’s major cities, but would not hold public rallies.

”I will go to colleges and universities and tell youths that they should reject the candidates of incompetent and corrupt political leadership,” Khan said.

Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan at Punjab University. – AP Photo

KARACHI:  Renowned nuclear scientist, Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan said that the nation is being misguided about power generation through Thar Coal as fake claims being made that 50,000 mage watts energy could be produced.

The father of Pakistan’s nuclear program and national hero, Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan has said that the country is passing through a very difficult period and country needs the sincere and honest leadership.

Speaking as chief guest at a dinner on Friday evening on the auspices of Rahnuma-e-Pakistan Forum at a local hotel, Dr Khan said that the current state of the affairs is the consequence of ineptness and dishonesty of those sitting on the helms of the affairs.

He said that all the ministries and government departments are being run by those who did not have any know how of their respective department but busy in looting and plundering the country.

Dr Khan said that fake claims have been made for the power generation from Thar coal. He declared it intellectual dishonesty. He made it clear that projects like Thar Coal and Reko Diq require investment of millions of dollars and state of the art equipment and technology.

He said that China has the technology and skill to extract coal from Thar reserves.

The author, Amna Alam presenting her first collection of poetry to Himayat Ali Shaair and Sarshar Siddiqui. – Photo by Nadeem zafar siddiqui

KARACHI: Renowned writer and poet Amna Alam launched a collection of poetry at the Karachi Arts Council last weekend.

Titled “Khushboo se likhi fard,” the book serves as a compilation of poetry in the form of hamd, naat, nazm and ghazal, and is the first publication by Alam, who has been writing poetry and prose for almost three decades.

Eminent literary critic Sarshar Siddiqui, who was among the guests at the event, was full of praise for Alam, saying that he first heard a couplet from her in the presence of literary giant Tabish Dehalvi.

“On so many occasions I have asked Amna to publish her work,” Siddiqui told the audience.

According to Siddiqui, Alam has been able to carve out her own style of poetry despite being influenced by her mentor Sahba Akhtar.

Renowned biologist, Dr Waqar Ahmed Zuberi said that Amna Alam is also an important member of Bazm-e-Sciency Adab – a literary movement for the promotion of Science and Technology. Bazm-e-Sciency Adab has been arranging monthly literary sittings in Karachi for more than 18 years.

Speaking on the occasion, Professor Sehar Ansari was of the view that Alam’s poetry reflected the troubles and harshness of life and she also used difficult style of poetry in the book.

Talking about the blending of science into poetry, Ansari said that scientific poetry is an emerging trend and must be appreciated by the literary circles.

From left to right: Amna Alam, Himayat Ali Shaair, Sarshar siddiqui, Sehar Ansari, Jazib Qureshi and Waqar Ahmed Zuberi at the launching of the book at The Karachi Arts Council. – Photo courtesy by Roomi Masood

Another senior poet and critic, Jazib Qureshi said that Alam is a poetess, an enlightened visionary and has perfectly weaved her life experiences into poetry.

Qureshi particularly emphasised on the following couplets:

Gulabon si soorat hue khaak me gum

Sharar ko hawa ne kya raakh me gum

Mulk jo ham ko mila tha aik rehmat ki tarah

Butt raha he in dinon maal-e-ghaneemat ki tarah

 Khair maango tum ashiyane ki

Andhyon ne darakth maanga he
“Most of the work (in the book) is new but some pieces are decades old,” the author told Dawn.com.
Renowned literary critic and publisher of the book, Auje Kamal praised Alam and said she was a “complete poetess.”
Kamal recited two couplets from the collection:

Kisi soorat zameen ki ishtiha kam hi nahi hoti

Na jaane roz kitne hi badan Khoorak hote hen

Yun shoaq e sataaish me uljho na dil-e-nadan

Shohrat   ki    qaba    pehne    ajaygi   ruswaii
Priced at 300 rupees, “Khushboo se likhi fard” is available at leading bookstores and at Dunya e Adab office in Karachi.

Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan. – File Photo by AP

LAHORE: Former Chairman WAPDA, Lt. Gen (R) Zulfiar Ali Khan on Friday categorically rebutted the self-styled allegations regarding nuclear sell-off.

Talking to APP while refuting all the fabricated allegations, he said that Pakistan Army has been the biggest deterrent for enemies and now US is taking steps through which it thinks that it will succeed in pitching Pakistani public against Pakistani Army.

“Before making any comments on the substance of the article, I must emphasize that the whole story has not an iota of truth but a fabrication of a mischievous mind. It is now a well known and admitted fact that this by itself is a full fledged subject meriting separate treatment,” he said.

“Coming to the substance of the article in the Washington Post; it relies mainly on a so-called letter said to have been written by a North Korean official to Dr A Q Khan in 1998. This letter is absolutely void of authenticity and credibility for the following reasons:

He said it is not on any letter head; Bonafides of the signature/signing person are not known; It mentions a combined and co-ordinated operation in Pakistan by the CIA, the South Korean Intelligence and the ISI that is incomprehensible and mind-boggling; “The reference about myself in the so-called letter from North Korea does not exist in the eleven page account given by Dr A Q Khan to Mr Henderson as referred to by the Washington Post.. In response to Washington Post’s queries, he pointed out that during his tenure at GHQ, no contract was concluded with North Korea by the GHQ, nor was there any dispute between the two

Since he was not the dealing officer or, directly or indirectly connected with contracts with North Korea (if any) or the resolution of a possible dispute arising there from, the question of North Korea making any payments to him, major or minor, does not arise, he added.

The deal commonly referred to was an agreement signed between the two governments that is Pakistan and North Korea.

However, it was concluded much before he came to GHQ. It is public knowledge that an extensive and exhaustive inquiry was held into the allegations of nuclear proliferation and numerous people were thoroughly questioned and interrogated.

“It ought to be borne in mind that at no stage was my name mentioned in this context, leave aside accepting any benefit.

The queries by the correspondent of the Washington Post exhibited a crude effort to provoke people in authority by levelling unfounded and baseless allegations against them so that in reaction while defending themselves they may give away some information inadvertently which will fill in the blanks of information/data about the organisation, administrative structure, operation details about our strategic weapons programme, logistic arrangements pertaining to such weapons and the extent of R&D and production facilities. All of these falls in the category of national secrets and under no circumstance can be shared with anyone.”

Gen Zulfiqar said that US efforts, both overt and covert, spread over the last 10 to 12 years to gain access to such information is well known. Frustration emanating from their failure to gain an access, probably, prompted an effort like the one by Washington Post in the publication of this article.

In his considered opinion, this article has been written as an instrument to fulfil US long-term objectives mainly to malign and undermine Pakistan Army by casting aspersion on the integrity of an ex-army chief and other senior officers, he said.

He said Washington Post claims to be a reputed newspaper. If indeed it was, it should not have endeavored to malign the Army by citing a dubious 13-year old letter.

This undated picture released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on July 7, 2011 and received from Tokyo-based Korean News Service (KNS) shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il (C) looking at parts at the Rakwon Machine Complex in North Pyongan province. – Photo by AFP

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani general strongly denied on Thursday a report that he took $3 million in cash in exchange for helping smuggle nuclear technology to North Korea in the late 1990s, while the nation’s foreign office called the story “preposterous.”

The Washington Post reported on Wednesday that Abdul Qadeer Khan, the father of Pakistan’s nuclear bomb, had released a copy of a letter from a North Korean official dated 1998 detailing a $3 million payment to Pakistan’s then-chief of army staff, General Jehangir Karamat.

“I was not in the loop for any kind of influence and I would have to be mad to sanction transfer of technology and for Dr Khan to listen to me,” Karamat told Reuters in an email. The story, he said, is “totally false.”

In addition to the payment to Karamat, the letter says former lieutenant general, Zulfiqar Khan, was given a half-million dollars and some jewellery. He also denied the accusation.

“I have not read the story,” Khan told Reuters, “but of course it is wrong.”

The Pakistan Army declined to comment. But Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tehmina Janjua told reporters at a weekly press briefing that “such stories have a habit of recurring and my only comment is that this is totally baseless and preposterous.”

Despite Pakistani protests, Western intelligence officials said they believed the letter was authentic, the Post reported.

It appears to be signed by North Korean Workers Party Secretary Jon Byong, the newspaper said, and other details match classified information previously unrevealed to the public.

In exchange for the money, generals Karamat and Khan were to help Khan give documents on a nuclear program to North Korea, the Post said.

The newspaper said it was unable to independently verify the account.

Khan has admitted giving centrifuges and drawings that helped North Korea begin making a uranium-based bomb. It already has nuclear weapons made with plutonium.

Former military leader General Pervez Musharraf wrote in his memoir that Pakistan and North Korea were involved in government-to-government cash transfers for North Korean ballistic missile technology in the late 1990s, but he insisted there was no official policy of reverse transfer of nuclear technology to Pyongyang.

“I assured the world that the proliferation was a one-man act and that neither the government of Pakistan nor the army was involved,” Musharraf wrote. “This was the truth, and I could speak forcefully.”

Answering a question about safety of the nuclear assets, Dr Khan said neither the Taliban nor any external force could seize them because of a “highly secured system which has been improved gradually”. - Photo by Reuters

ISLAMABAD: The country’s nuclear programme has been “running without any break” for the past 10 years and the process of uranium enrichment is in progress, too, Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan claimed in an interview with Dawn on Saturday.

“Although I have not been associated with the programme for the past 10 years, I know that it has been running without any break and the process of uranium enrichment is in progress,” the nuclear scientist said.

He said although the departments concerned were not giving “final shape to new nuclear weapons”, the material was being prepared and they could be assembled any time if required.

Answering a question about safety of the nuclear assets, Dr Khan said neither the Taliban nor any external force could seize them because of a “highly secured system which has been improved gradually”.

He said the county’s nuclear assets were safe from day one and no country should be worried about them.

“We know how to protect our strength (nukes),” he said in reply to a question about statements from Washington and New Delhi that terrorists could seize Pakistan’s nuclear arsenals.

He said nuclear weapons were not stored at one place and very few people knew about their location. “You can count these people on fingers who exactly know about the location of nuclear arsenals,” he said.

Most of the nuclear weapons made by the Khan Research Laboratories and other departments concerned had been handed over to the military authorities and the practice still continued.

“These weapons are lying in tunnels and safe houses where no one can access them, except very few relevant people,” Dr Khan said.

In reply to a question, he said Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had made the security system of the country’s nuclear programme and nuclear assets foolproof and with the passage of time Gen Ziaul Haq, Gen Mirza Aslam Beg and Gen Abdul Waheed Kakar further beefed up security around them.

“Finally the Strategic Plans Division upgraded the system, making it inaccessible to any one inside and outside the country,” he said.

Asked if the country’s nuclear programme was running satisfactorily, Dr Khan said it was running well.

In reply to another question, the nuclear scientist said he often moved out of his residence because he had no fear about his security. “I have faith in Allah because no one can harm me if He protects me.”

Dr Khan’s network was disrupted in 2003 for allegedly selling the centrifuges for secret nuclear weapons programme in countries that included Libya and Iran. – Photo by AP (File)

WASHINGTON: The father of Pakistan’s nuclear bomb has vigorously defended the program as sparing his country the fate of Iraq or Libya, amid signs that Islamabad is ramping up its weapons capacities.

Writing in Newsweek magazine, Abdul Qadeer Khan said that Pakistan’s nuclear weapons had prevented war with historic rival India, which he accused of pursuing a “massive program” due to ambitions of superpower status.

“Don’t overlook the fact that no nuclear-capable country has been subjected to aggression or occupied, or had its borders redrawn. Had Iraq and Libya been nuclear powers, they wouldn’t have been destroyed in the way we have seen recently,” Khan said.

Khan also argued that Bangladesh would not have won independence in 1971 if Pakistan had nuclear weapons. India supported Bangladesh’s independence, which came after a nine-month struggle that was harshly put down by Pakistani forces.

Many Pakistanis regard Khan as a hero for building the Islamic world’s first nuclear bomb. India and Pakistan carried out nuclear tests in 1998.

He admitted in 2004 that he ran a nuclear black-market selling secrets to Iran, Libya and North Korea. But Khan later retracted his remarks and in 2009 was freed from house arrest, although he was asked to keep a low profile.

Western powers in March launched a military campaign against Libya over concerns of violence against civilians.

Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi agreed in 2003 to end his nuclear program and tried to reconcile with the West.

Pakistan has been increasingly worried about its nuclear program after US forces on May 2 managed to enter the country covertly to kill the world’s most wanted man Osama bin Laden, who was living in the garrison city of Abbottabad.

While Khan said he was not familiar with the latest developments in Pakistan’s nuclear program, Newsweek published a commercial satellite image that appeared to show expedited construction at the country’s Khushab nuclear site.

The Institute for Science and International Security, which assessed the image, said it showed “significant progress” on a fourth reactor. A frame of a building was now visible, which did not appear in a picture taken in January.

The Washington-based think-tank said that plutonium from the new reactors would allow a “dramatic increase” in production, potentially allowing Pakistan to double its annual production of nuclear weapons.