Pakistan: Inside The Nuclear Closet

i aint read all ur article cuz it`s too long, but from what i av gathered, u`r full of bull. first of all, it`s every guy`z fantasy to be a porn star ennit? & u`r livin it? - lol!!! u`r (were) on drugs - how awful, u`r admittin 2ur problemz, hey u`r a step closer 2progress!! i gotta say, 4sumone on (was on) drugz, u hav gr8 skin, wot`s ur secret? pleeeeeeeeeease, i need to pee!!!!!!

u wannit 2knw about ur roots; it`s amazin how people like u dnt knw ur origins, even after livin in pakistan durin ur childhood? luk up about the taj mahal, they`re our ancestors, we originate from the moughals, who didn`t die but were over - ruled by the brits. the royal family hav our jewel - kohinoor - which was displayed on the queen mother`s coffin on the day of her funeral - it`s a beautiful stone & it`s ours. no matter wot the situation of our economy is, u shud neva be ashamed of ur roots, `cuz if u read up how the moughals originate from the ottoman empire, our utmost beginning, u`ll be proud of how our blood is a compound of warriors - & we don`t actually come from the indian nation, we only ruled it, most of our ancestors are mainly afghans but originally turks/greeks, travellin across the mid east, past iran (persians) & inheritin a few of their genes along too. we also hav heritage from genghis kahn`s reign sumwhere along the line too, his son became muslim. all this is why the muslims in india & pakistan look different in colour & features to hindus & sikhs, with the exception of reverts ofcourse. pakistanis shud be classin themselves as warriors for independancy, & their culture should be islamic as that is what `pak` (paak saaf) stands for. but we enjoy our cultures alongside such as our food, clothes, harvest festivals, folk music, & yes, all this is similar yet different to the indians because of our climate. i too am a pakistani from lahore, & i love my roots even though i have visited my land only twice in my whole life. i hav lived in the uk ever since i wasn born but i am still as patriotic towards my home as my father is. it`s our identity & we shouldn`t forget it, insh`Allah.

best wishes, fiz.

i aint read all ur article cuz it`s too long, but from what i av gathered, u`r full of bull. first of all, it`s every guy`z fantasy to be a porn star ennit? & u`r livin it? - lol!!! u`r (were) on drugs - how awful, u`r admittin 2ur problemz, hey u`r a step closer 2progress!! i gotta say, 4sumone on (was on) drugz, u hav gr8 skin, wot`s ur secret? pleeeeeeeeeease, i need to pee!!!!!!

u wannit 2knw about ur roots; it`s amazin how people like u dnt knw ur origins, even after livin in pakistan durin ur childhood? luk up about the taj mahal, they`re our ancestors, we originate from the moughals, who didn`t die but were over - ruled by the brits. the royal family hav our jewel - kohinoor - which was displayed on the queen mother`s coffin on the day of her funeral - it`s a beautiful stone & it`s ours. no matter wot the situation of our economy is, u shud neva be ashamed of ur roots, `cuz if u read up how the moughals originate from the ottoman empire, our utmost beginning, u`ll be proud of how our blood is a compound of warriors - & we don`t actually come from the indian nation, we only ruled it, most of our ancestors are mainly afghans but originally turks/greeks, travellin across the mid east, past iran (persians) & inheritin a few of their genes along too. we also hav heritage from genghis kahn`s reign sumwhere along the line too, his son became muslim. all this is why the muslims in india & pakistan look different in colour & features to hindus & sikhs, with the exception of reverts ofcourse. pakistanis shud be classin themselves as warriors for independancy, & their culture should be islamic as that is what `pak` (paak saaf) stands for. but we enjoy our cultures alongside such as our food, clothes, harvest festivals, folk music, & yes, all this is similar yet different to the indians because of our climate. i too am a pakistani from lahore, & i love my roots even though i have visited my land only twice in my whole life. i hav lived in the uk ever since i wasn born but i am still as patriotic towards my home as my father is. it`s our identity & we shouldn`t forget it, insh`Allah.

best wishes, fiz.

i aint read all ur article cuz it`s too long, but from what i av gathered, u`r full of bull. first of all, it`s every guy`z fantasy to be a porn star ennit? & u`r livin it? - lol!!! u`r (were) on drugs - how awful, u`r admittin 2ur problemz, hey u`r a step closer 2progress!! i gotta say, 4sumone on (was on) drugz, u hav gr8 skin, wot`s ur secret? pleeeeeeeeeease, i need to pee!!!!!!

u wannit 2knw about ur roots; it`s amazin how people like u dnt knw ur origins, even after livin in pakistan durin ur childhood? luk up about the taj mahal, they`re our ancestors, we originate from the moughals, who didn`t die but were over - ruled by the brits. the royal family hav our jewel - kohinoor - which was displayed on the queen mother`s coffin on the day of her funeral - it`s a beautiful stone & it`s ours. no matter wot the situation of our economy is, u shud neva be ashamed of ur roots, `cuz if u read up how the moughals originate from the ottoman empire, our utmost beginning, u`ll be proud of how our blood is a compound of warriors - & we don`t actually come from the indian nation, we only ruled it, most of our ancestors are mainly afghans but originally turks/greeks, travellin across the mid east, past iran (persians) & inheritin a few of their genes along too. we also hav heritage from genghis kahn`s reign sumwhere along the line too, his son became muslim. all this is why the muslims in india & pakistan look different in colour & features to hindus & sikhs, with the exception of reverts ofcourse. pakistanis shud be classin themselves as warriors for independancy, & their culture should be islamic as that is what `pak` (paak saaf) stands for. but we enjoy our cultures alongside such as our food, clothes, harvest festivals, folk music, & yes, all this is similar yet different to the indians because of our climate. i too am a pakistani from lahore, & i love my roots even though i have visited my land only twice in my whole life. i hav lived in the uk ever since i wasn born but i am still as patriotic towards my home as my father is. it`s our identity & we shouldn`t forget it, insh`Allah.

best wishes, fiz.

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Hi.

The Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission remained the overall incharge of the bomb programme under Chairman Munir Ahmad Khan (1972-91). They initiated the Kahuta project before A.Q.Khan came, and the plutonium programme. They built and exploded the bomb, and were responsible for all the 23 steps, before and after uranium enrichment. They also provided crucial technical input to A.Q.Khan, and uranium hexafloride, UF-6, which is a crucial ingredient for enriching uranium, without which the `gas` centrifuges cannot work, is produced by PAEC and handed over to KRL to be pumped into the centrifuges for enrichment. Uranium can only be enriched as UF-6 thru the gas centrifuge method. A.Q.Khan did not bring a magic wand with him from URENCO. He was one among other scientists of who were working in Europe on the same technology, and who came to Pakistan and established KRL under Bashiruddin Mahmud, before A.Q.Khan came and took over.

A.Q.Khan asked for and got the best PAEC scientists and engineers, and 75% of KRL staff initially came from PAEC. He had total financial and adminitrative autonomy in KRL, and where as PAEC remained under strict controls right up to the Chairman level, there were no checks on A.Q.Khan who used the massive funds at his disposal to cultivate the myth that he was the founder of the nuclear programme and the `father` of the bomb.

The Govt used him as a decoy to shield the PAEC/PINSTECH from unwanted attention, where the real work was being done. Without PAEC`s success in masterinf the `Nuclear Fuel Cycle, and the Centre for Nuclear Studies, which produced over 2000 highly trained nuclear scientists and engineers, which formed the back bone of the programme, A.Q.Khan could not have gone further than building a machine design shop, because centrifuges are essentially a mechanical device.

In short, he stole the show from the PAEC and Munir Ahmad Khan, who chose to remain quite and not to advertise the Commission`s achievements. This enable A.Q.Khan to `hijack` all the credit, and he got away with the proliferation and got the pardon in return. No other scientist or institution indulged in such acts. AQK managed to proliferate only tech related to centrifuges, for which he was responsible, and that was all that he could sell. The UF-6 he sold was handed over to him by PAEC in the long chain of building the bomb, which he was supposed to use as Feed for KRL, after which KRL is handed over to PAEC ,which then converts in into metal and then a bomb.

Thus history is falsified, and the myth of AQK being the `father` of the bomb remains unshaken, even though he brought dishonor to Pakistan in the nuclear scandal, where as hundreds of other scientists, who were not mere metallurgist, but real nuclear experts, with international standing, and who worked silently for many decades with impeccable honesty and patriotism, remain unknown and unsung, chief among them Munir Ahmad Khan.

Regards.

I am saddened to read some of the remarks made about Dr. Hoodbhoy. He is a distinguished scholar and an intellectual of some renown, and his presence in Chowk is a major attraction for me. He has always been avowedly against nuclear weapons, particularly their possession by the United Nations P-5. If he speaks against A. Q. Khan, it is because the black market trade in nuclear weapons technology is much worse and more dangerous than nuclear weapons under close government control. He does not condone the ``legal`` existence of nuclear weapons, nor does he support the United States in this matter.

I believe that Dr Hoodbhoy`s visits to the United States are very much looked forward to, and if I had the financial means, I would travel to see him and hear him speak as well. It is one thing for people like me to live in the US and write scathing criticisms of India or Pakistan. That is easy. It is quite something else for people like Dr. Hoodbhoy to live in Pakistan and to criticize its actions. That requires courage and a belief in principles. The academic and scientific community claims Dr. Hoodbhoy as one of its own. We take pride and delight in that he is one of us. His deeply humane values are all too uncommon these days, and he is in the same mold as Noam Chomsky and Howard Zinn. Chowk and its readers should be proud that he is part of this growing and vibrant net community, and likewise, Pakistan should be proud of having a scientist of the highest rank as one of its own, living and working in Islamabad.

If he seems predisposed againt Khan, then that is his right. In humane terms, the scientific and intellectual contributions of a Dr Hoodbhoy or a Dr. Abdus Salaam rank head and shoulders over those of a Khan. Perhaps Chowk readers would do well to consider what this means.

It is deeply distressing that India chose to have nuclear weapons, and that Pakistan responded in kind. Khan`s sin in this respect is that he took it one step further and gave the secrets away to a bidder. The more terrible question is, was he alone? Dr. Hoodbhoy and many others are simply trying to raise the level of awareness so that people can ask these questions, demand answers, and set things right.

The Khan episode will not go away, although Musharaf probably thinks it has. Like the Taliban and Kashmir problem it will come back to haunt Pakistan. It is better to demand answers now, set up institutional mechanisms to prevent this happening in the future, and to fully practice nuclear responsibility. And it is best to do this as openly as is possible. The impression given today is that the Pakistan government and military (not just Khan) are completely irresponsible. Even if this is not true, the dubious confession and speedy pardon give the impression of irresponsibility. This frightens people in other parts of the world.

Instead of attacking Dr. Hoodbhoy for raising this, we may like to give what he is saying some serious thought.

Panini

Comments for # 75.
You seem to not like it when others judge you, but are you not doing the same??
I have known a few pakistanis that are ashamed of who they are and thus, find solace in degrading their own kind. Just as not all fingers are equal, neither are people from a particular caste or ethnic group. The major step in becoming a broadminded person is to respect cultural diversity including your own culture. What you think correct may not be appropriate for others and the least you could do is understand that nobody is perfect (that includes you).
While you find so many flaws in your own culture, perhaps you should try to seek some good as well. Sometimes things are not as bad as you see, just because you are looking through the veil of prejudice.
As for your comments on sexual lifestyle, I sense that you do not as yet understand the difference between real love/friendship and sexuality. Yes the hindu girls you mention may be more sexual (due to their cultural values), but are they really loving and sincere friends??? Are they friends enough with you to tell you your flaws? Anyone can praise you on your face, but its only family or friends that can tell you the truth as they see it. You figure out which is more valuable.
And please do not marry a traditional girl, it will be hell for her. You will be doing favor to some girl by not going back to your country. An Indian friend told me that they use ``paki`` as a derogatory term, I see that you are doing the same. Why do you at all want to associate with something you lookdown upon yourself??
Marry someone American and please do not tell anyone that you are from pakistan. I am sure they don`t need people like you over there.
ciao

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kas #75 Thanks for your post. Actually, I can be quite judgemental where I think that is called for. However, what you have written about yourself really isnt as egregious as you seem to think (although I must admit that part about starring in porno movies or something was a bit of a jolt - but you are an adult and as long as you are not injuring anyone mentally or physically then what you do with your life is your business). Some comments on a couple of things you write:

a. There are unfortunately people in Pakistan who look down upon hindus as being deceiptful etc. The fact that you obviously resent such prejudice means that you are not one of them, and so you really dont have a problem here.

b. On marrying a Pakistani girl: that would certainly crimp your life-style, so I hope you wont do it until you are ready to settle down. It is much better that way than to have a miserable marriage and thus mess up your own life as well as that of the girl they married (as I have seen some individuals do in real life). I will add that after more than two decades of marriage, and while we have had to work on it, I can honestly say that a good marriage is like good wine (it gets better and better with age). I think most men have messed around before they got married more than they care to admit, and most men dont mind noticing a good looking woman even after getting married. But that does not change the fact that they remain crazy for the girl they married even after decades of living together. But, as I said, it is much better to put off marriage until you are ready to commit yourself to one woman.

Enjoyed this discussion with you. You are a very intelligent and decent person, and I wish you all the best in your real life.

Some people I know once told me that they were once driving on the winding hilly roads in Nathiagalli or one of the other nothern hill stations. Dr Qadeer Khan`s daughter Dina was driving. During that drive she over ran and killed a young boy. When they were brought to the police station all she told them was that she was Dr AQ Khan`s daughter and they let them all go without any further questioning. So immune from the law was he!!

#75 by kas2004 on March 11, 2004 1:01pm PT
I agree , hindu girls are more fun!!

jang #76 You my friend are entitled at your views.

O Hoody-Hoodwinker. America`s kuttaa.
America Lovers: look this is what could happen to you too.
Excellent op-ed . Unfortunately the illiterates claiming to know only english (jee mujhhay urdu nahee aati. MaiN uss mein weak hooN kind of riff-raff in Pakistan) would not be able to learn from this.

Tahmed.. i suspect #75 is yanking your chain...its hilarious.

Hello Tahmed,
Thanks for your kindness and overlooking my lifestyle. I am trying to change my attitude and behaviour because I am not very pleased with it also. I feel comfortable to open up to you because of your accepting and non-judgemental ways.

I still have a hard time separating the primary and secondary aspects of Pakistani culture. In some ways I can accept your arguement but in other ways I cannot, just becaise we are different in so many aspects of our life. We are certainly not like americans in our attitude. I think I understand what you mean about the universality of human values. That is common to all good socities in the world. But we have out own ways and ``culture``. My parents still have a Paki mentality. That we are distinct and should marry in Pakistanis only. Otherwise we will dilute our selved and become lost in the american society. In many ways I agree with them. Look at me. I am american and have no Paki in me. But in my mind I grew up with Paki values that clash with my american-ness. For example I have been sexually over active since 15 yrs. and I think in Pakistan this would not be allowed. Because of my american upbringing I am very open about other people and attitude. My parents re not. They want me to go to Pakistan and marry a girl from there. But I have so many girls here that I dont want to loose my freedom. I like to enjoy pleasing women. So if I marry a Paki I might be doing a bertayal to them. I dont want to do that. But now I think that I should try to know and get back to my roots. This is why I am torn inside. Part of me wants to identify with the Pakis here and part of me thinks they are so backward. Also, I dont know enough urdu to communicate with them. I want to do this to feel like I belong some where. I am neither here or there. It is a terribel place to be. I wish I could start all over again. But I have no true Paki friends. They just make fun of me. In this regard, the Indians (Hindus) are more open minded. They tolorate me and frequently dont care if I am a muslim. I like this but it again clashes with my cultural beliefs that Hindus are inferior people and that we once ruled over them. But that was a long time ago. In my hearty of hearts i dont believe that. But I think it affects my behaviour some times. My garndmother used to tell me that if you meet a hindu on the street and a snake at the same time, it is best to kill the hindu, rather than the sanke because hindus are worse than snake. I know this was ment as a half joke but these ``pearls of wisdom`` chash in my mind. my parents are also quite intolorant. They want that I never have anything to do with Indians. They do not want me to marry a hindu for example. But I have had many relations withj hindu girls and i find them more friendly and loving than their paki counterpart. So I want to enhance my Paki-ness but not in the offensive ways of my Paki friends and family. This is what I admire in you. I like the way you have opened your mind to accepting everybody as equal. You are certainly strict and have fewquently shown your temper with creaps like gijubania and those who have preceeded him. You have shown an even handedness which I would like to imbibe in my behaviour.
But I cannot wholly reconcile the primary and secondary aspects of Paki culture. I think we have a distinct lifestyle, religion (which affects our outlook in life) and language. Should we consider ourself as Persians or Arabs decendents? and take up their cultural base as a starting point? My inclination is to carve a identy that is similar to the indians since I get along with them better. I like their openmindedness. I know not all indians are openminded. What I am saking is where should I start? I would like to read more about such things and see what people say about this dilema. On religion, I must admit that I am a ham eating muslim. I have not gone to a mosque in ages and only go there when I am forced to do it with my family. Other than on paper, I have no religion. I just believe in treating people fairly. I dont believe that I should convert to another religion too. I just want to belong somewhere, as it is a comforting feeling.
Anyway, we are leaving tomorrow and I will not be interacting too much. But I will log in whenever possible to take your advice on my situation.
Khuda hafiz, my friend, If I may call you that.

Mr. Gujjubania, #71,
I do not appreciate that remark. But I understand where you are comming from. So I will not take it to heart. Please control your self.
Thanks.