ISLAMABAD, June 24: President Gen Pervez Musharraf said here on Monday that Pakistan’s nuclear and missile potential is essentially a deterrence and defensive in nature.
“But we have no aggressive designs against any one,” he assured.
Inaugurating the 27th International Nathiagali Summer College on physics and contemporary needs, organized by the National Centre for Physics in collaboration with Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), he said Pakistan has been forced to possess nuclear and missile capability. “Various threat compulsions were after us to seek nuclear and missile technology”, he added.
He said the challenge was given to Pakistani scientists in 1974 and in 1998 when India exploded its nuclear devices.
But this challenge, he pointed out, was responded to by the Pakistani scientists in 1998 in the shape of restoring the nuclear and strategic balance in the region.
The missile race, he said, was started by India but Pakistani scientists effectively met the challenge of adequately acquiring the required nuclear and missile capabilities, he said.
However, the president said the capability in the nuclear and missile fields needed to support all possible efforts towards promotion and application of nuclear technology for peaceful ends. In this connection, he referred to the achievements made by Pakistani scientists in agriculture, industry, health and electricity generation.
The president regretted that this year not many scientists from USA and Europe were participating in the seminar due to law and order situation in Pakistan. “We hope that we will improve this law and order situation in future with a view to have massive participation of foreigners in summer college seminar particularly from the United States and European countries”, he added.
He said that he has been saying that the Pakistani scientists have done every thing to make their country successful in various specialised fields. “We all are proud of you”.
He commended the dedication, commitment, capacity and success of scientists that made Pakistan a nuclear state and helped manage indigenous missile capability. He said scientists of Pakistan have made their countrymen proud due to their achievements in nuclear and other fields.
The president expressed his confidence that Pakistani scientists would do equally well in peaceful uses of nuclear technology. He said they must make more efforts to show Pakistan on the map of leading countries in science and technology, in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and application of science in economic development.
He said there was no dearth of talent in Pakistan but added perhaps the government was not facilitating and exploiting that talent. He said in the past two years the government has increased budgetary allocation for science and technology to Rs6 billion from a meagre amount of Rs120 million.
The president said Pakistan would be sending about 100 students abroad every year for PhD. The government has taken action so as to produce 500 PhDs in science and technology after three to four years.
He said highest priority needed to be given to science and technology to move towards economic development through science and technology. He also emphasised the need for creating linkages in science and technology and industry to give the economy of the country a boost.
