ISLAMABAD: The federal government has directed Capital Development Authority (CDA) to name prominent government building and road after the architect of Pakistan’s nuclear programme — late Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan.

Sources in Interior Ministry said that through a letter dated October 22, the ministry while following the directive of federal cabinet, had directed the CDA to name a prominent government building after late nuclear scientist. Separately, the government also asked CDA for naming a road after the Dr A.Q. Khan.

Dr Khan, 85, who recently died in Islamabad was hero of the nation, was accorded state funeral at Faisal Mosque before his burial at H-8 graveyard.

Sources said various proposals were under consideration and soon the CDA will decide, which building and road will be named after the Dr Khan.

Government officials said that CDA would come up with proposals which would be finalised by federal government, adding that prominent government building like Kohsar Complex on Constitution Avenue could be named after the said nuclear scientist.

They said that a service road in E-7, where Dr Khan used to live and road of sector F-10 is also under consideration to be named after the late nuclear scientist. “Final decision is yet to be made,” they said.

Born in 1936 in Bhopal, India, Dr Khan had immigrated along with his family to Pakistan in 1947 after partition. He did a science degree at Karachi University in 1960 before going to study metallurgical engineering in Berlin before completing advanced studies in the Netherlands and Belgium. After 1971 war and subsequent India’s nuclear test in 1974, he joined Pakistan’s efforts to develop nuclear power and with the generous support of then Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, he founded the Khan Research Laboratories in 1976. And finally Pakistan conducted successful nuclear tests in 1998 to make the country’s defense invincible.

Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2021