NA acknowledges services of Dr Qadeer

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Thursday passed a unanimous resolution paying glowing tribute to late nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan for making the country's defense impregnable.

The resolution, moved by Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan, expressed grief over Dr Qadeer’s death.

The resolution said Dr Abdul Qadeer was a benefactor of Pakistan and a hero who made Pakistan a nuclear power.

The House said Dr Qadeer was a role model, suggesting the government to make his life and struggle part of syllabus of the educational institutions.

The House further stated that following in footsteps of the nuclear scientist, the country and its armed forces were fully prepared for the homeland’s defense.

The House, which did not take up order of the day, also expressed grief over the death of PML-N parliamentarian Pervez Malik, Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan and comedian Umar Sharif. Fateha was also offered for the departed souls.

Taking part in discussion on the resolution, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan launched the nuclear programme to make the country’s defense impregnable.

He said the political leadership and all the governments took forward the nuclear programme and there was complete unanimity among them whether it was Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto or Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and they remained focused on the programme.

“Credible minimum deterrence is one of few vital issues on which there has been complete national unanimity of the leadership and the nation,” he said.

Paying tribute to Dr. Abdul Qadeer, PMLN parliamentary leader Khawaja Muhammad Asif said his services were unforgettable but what happened to him in the last 20 years, the nation should apologize to him after his death.

“Instead of recognizing services of Dr. Khan, the then government became apologetic to the world and he had to take all blames,” he said. Former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said the role of Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan would be written with golden letters in the country’s history.

Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali said Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah was the founder of Pakistan while Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan gave Pakistan credible minimum deterrence.

Khawaja Saad Rafique, Rana Tanveer Hussain, Ghous Bux Mehar, Malik Aamir Dogar, Ghulam Mustafa Shah and other members also took part in discussion.