AQ Khan, father of Pakistan's nuclear weapons programme, dies at 85
AQ Khan, known as the father of Pakistan's nuclear programme and failed politician, has died at the age of 85. Here's a look at his life.
Abdul Qadeer Khan, who is known as the father of Pakistan's nuclear bomb and programme, has died at the age of 85, as per a local news channel in the country. AQ Khan was best knows for his achievements as an atomic scientist in Pakistan, as he greatly developed the nuclear weapons programme.
The atomic scientist was revered as a national hero in Pakistan as he made the country the world’s first Islamic nuclear power. In the West, AQ Khan was deemed responsible for smuggling dangerous technology to rogue states.
AQ Khan, who had tested positive for COVID-19, was initially admitted to the Khan Research Laboratories Hospital on August 26. He was later shifted to a military hospital in Rawalpindi. He then died at the age of 85 today after being transferred to the KRL Hospital in Islamabad with lung problems.
Abdul Qadeer Khan also had his roots connected to India. He was born in 1936 in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, but later moved to Pakistan along with his family in 1947 during the partition.
After he completed his education and research, he started making contributions towards the Pakistan nuclear programme. He was known as the father of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons programme, for founding the Engineering Research Laboratory to help the country develop uranium, which is essential for nuclear weapons.
Later in his career, Khan was accused of supplying nuclear technology to Libya, Iran, and North Korea illegally, for which he was placed under house arrest in 2004 in Pakistan. He later confessed to selling nuclear secrets to the countries as well.
AQ Khan had also tried to enter politics in 2012 when he formed a political party by the name of Tehreek-e-Tahafuz Pakistan (TTP). He later dissolved the political party in just one year after none of the candidates won a seat in the national elections.