Abdul Qadeer Khan: Pakistani nuclear engineer (1936–2021)
Abdul Qadeer Khan (Urdu: عبدالقدیر خان; April 1, 1936 – October 10, 2021) was a Pakistani scientist and metallurgical engineer.
He was a controversial figure. He is thought by many people to be one of the pioneers of Pakistan's nuclear program. Others disagree and claim he is only an opportunist who abused his position to obtain personal benefits and make a lot of money.[source?] His middle name is occasionally spelt Quadeer, Qadir or Gadeer. His given names are usually abbreviated to A.Q..
Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan HI, NI & BAR (twice) | |
|---|---|
 in 2017. | |
| Born | April 1, 1936 |
| Died | October 10, 2021 (aged 85) |
| Nationality | Pakistani |
| Alma mater | Catholic University of Leuven Delft University of Technology |
| Known for | Pakistani Nuclear Program |
| Awards | Hilal-i-Imtiaz (14-8-1989) Nishan-i-Imtiaz (14-8-1996 and 23-3-1999) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Metallurgy |
| Institutions | Khan Research Laboratories |
Khan claimed he had Pashtun ancestry[source?]. However, his ancestors supposedly immigrated to modern India, during the reign of Afghan Emperor Shahabuddin Ghouri[source?] from the district of Ghour of present Afghanistan.[source?] He was born in Bhopal State in British India in 1936.[source?] His father Abdul Ghafoor Khan served in the Education Department, British India[source?], and after retirement, settled in Bhopal.[source?]
He remained under arrest in Pakistan for quite some time, because he was accused of Nuclear proliferation to the North Korean government[source?] and also to Iran.[source?]
In August 2021, Khan was hospitalized in Islamabad after testing positive for COVID-19. He died at the age of 85 in Islamabad from the infection on October 10, 2021.
Several politicians in Pakistan, including the Prime Minister Imran Khan stated their tribute to him. In a post on Twitter, Imran Khan stated
"Deeply saddened by the passing of Dr A Q Khan. He was loved by our nation bec of his critical contribution in making us a nuclear weapon state. This has provided us security against an aggressive much larger nuclear neighbour. For the people of Pakistan he was a national icon."
Related pages
- Munir Ahmad Khan
References
Further reading
- "A tribute to Dr AQ Khan". Riaz Miuhammed Khan. Dawn News. 11 October 2021.
- "'National hero, patriotic son': Pakistan remembers Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan following death". Dawn News. 10 October 2021.
- "Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan remembered". Kashif Hussain/Z Ali. Express Tribune. 11 October 2021.
Other websites
- AQ Khan, Samar Mubarmand talking on Pakistani Nuclear Program Archived 2008-07-13 at the Wayback Machine
- Samar Mubarakmand telling truth about AQ Khan Archived 2008-05-15 at the Wayback Machine
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