ISLAMABAD/KARACHI, 6 February 2004 — Not even a humiliating public confession could convince Pakistanis that top nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, behind an international proliferation scandal, was anything less than a hero. In a dramatic apology on state television on Wednesday, the silver-haired 69-year-old took the blame for leaking nuclear weapons technology to Iran, North Korean and Libya, and absolved the government and his fellow scientists of all responsibility.
But ordinary Pakistanis did not believe Khan could have acted without the knowledge of the powerful military, and expressed anger over his treatment as a scapegoat.
“Dr. Qadeer is definitely under some pressure. He alone cannot be held responsible for all the mess,” said 26-year-old Abdul Karim, a resident of the port city of Karachi.
“He seems to be a scapegoat. Others involved should also be brought in front of people,” Karim added. Khan has long been revered as the driving force behind Pakistan’s nuclear program.
Pakistan’s nuclear bombs are seen as a vital deterrent to archrival India’s own arsenal and his confession of guilt has done little to change his standing or Pakistan’s pride in its atomic weaponry.
“For the nation, he is without a doubt a hero and will remain a hero,” retired radio journalist Aziz Khan told Reuters in the capital Islamabad. “He has been used as a sacrifice for the nation.”
Pakistan launched a probe into allegations of nuclear proliferation in November after the UN International Atomic Energy Agency provided it with names of scientists Iran alleged had helped it in nuclear weapons technology.
The country detained several scientists for “debriefing” and said last week that Khan had signed a confession, admitting his role in nuclear proliferation.
Sheerbaz Khan, a cab driver in Karachi, said Khan remained a hero in his eyes who had been victimized by the United States. “The government is toeing the US agenda in this region and this is an attempt at sabotaging our nuclear program,” he added.
Many Pakistanis are staunchly anti-American, and against President Pervez Musharraf after he supported its “war on terror” and sought peace with India. Disgruntled militants have been blamed for two attempts on the president’s life late last year.
Mohammad Nadeem, a vegetable seller in the same city, said Khan was pressured to give the statement and he should be presented before the people so he could tell the truth.
The News wrote: “Whatever his statement, Pakistanis will forever remain grateful to this patriotic, if misguided son of the soil, who helped the nation fulfill a dire security need. “We are still proud of what you did for Pakistan.”
