ISLAMABAD, 5 February 2004 — In Pakistan the worst is over on the proliferation front. It is time to be relieved. After President Parvez Musharraf’s meeting with Dr. Qadeer Khan guns on the home front will be silenced. Abroad too the credibility of Pakistan’s inquiry into IAEA assertions regarding Pakistani scientists will be enhanced. Significantly within hours of each a senior Chinese spokesman from Beijing and US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Armitage from Tokyo praised Pakistan’s commitment to non-proliferation. At home too, following the Musharraf-Qadeer meeting during which a mutually acceptable approach to dealing with Qadeer Khan and the proliferation issue has been arrived at, the political parties should now stop attacking the government on its handling of the proliferation question.
In the last one hundred hours accusations and counter accusations involving Pakistan’s present and former military and civilian rulers, scientists, important national institutions and above all the backbone of its security — the nuclear program — were all being debated in the global media. Becoming a flogging horse in the international arena is nightmarish for any nation, especially for one that is a victim of the global media prejudice.
Ever since this proliferation crisis began in August 2003 following IAEA’s inspection of Iranian nuclear facilities, the Musharraf government was clear that it would conduct the inquiry keeping three objectives in mind -Pakistan’s credibility; the protection and safeguarding of the country’s nuclear assets and the need to balance Dr. Qadeer Khan’s status of a national hero with the requirements of a fair inquiry. Nevertheless the situation spun out of control following the Feb. 1 assertion by the government that Qadeer Khan had submitted a signed confessional statement. Khan and his friends challenged the government claim. A showdown involving sections of the state and society over Qadeer Khan’s fate appeared inevitable.
Fortunately the efforts to avert this showdown continued. After meetings between Dr. Qadeer Khan and Lt. Gen, Kidwai of the National Command Authority and Chaudary Shujaat, Dr, Khan sought a meeting with President Musharraf. The meeting between Dr. Khan and the president yesterday lasted over 90 minutes. The president himself was always clear that a national hero, even if he were involved in proliferation matters, would have to be dealt with wisely.
Evidently a face-to-face meeting between the president and Dr. Khan was a wiser route than the parliamentary route for defusing the crisis. The whole crisis was taking on a political color, especially after an impression spread that Qadeer Khan was being made a scapegoat. The civilian-military divide too had begun playing up. In defense of Qadeer Khan former ministers and army chiefs were publicly revealing details of confidential meetings. Inside the Parliament accusations and counteraccusations would have freely flown across political divides serving no national cause.
Interesting through this crisis is there are certain positive developments. One, Pakistan’s approach to such problem has been in sharp contrast to that of Libya and Iran. Libyans, under pressure, opted to wrap up their nuclear program. Last week a US Air force plane carried 55 tons of paper and equipment related to Libya’s nuclear program to the US. Iran, under international pressure, divulged the source of their technology including the names of the foreign scientists. Pakistan has resisted pressure to roll back its nuclear program while choosing to take steps to enhance its credentials as a responsible nuclear state.
The question that many Pakistanis raise is whether their country’s approach will lead to the US and the international community playing it straight with Pakistan. Will they accept Pakistan’s nuclear program? Unlikely. It would be a mistake for Pakistan to assume that the US will come to terms with Pakistan’s nuclear program. Having tasted blood in Iran and Libya, US may seek rollback of Pakistan’s nuclear program — though not in the short run. Pakistan is an ally in the West’s war on terrorism. Hence pressure maybe off for now. But Washington’s policy will remain unchanged. Pakistan must resist such pressures. Nuclear assets are at the heart of Pakistan’s defense. No government will ever give it up. But Pakistan will have to continue to operate as a responsible nuclear power — making its own systems foolproof to prevent any proliferation in future.
