I DO not understand what Dr A. Q Khan wants from the people of Pakistan. For years he has been trying to promote himself as the ‘father of Pakistan’s nuclear bomb’, while heading the nuclear research facility.

During this time, he has had unlimited budget and he has been treated like a prince by everyone in Pakistan. And how does he repay us?

He repaid us by blatantly leaking nuclear technology to Libya. He was so careless that he even sent the material in a plastic bag having the logo of Shaheen Jewellers in Islamabad, which was shown at BBC by the UN nuclear inspectors when they first discovered these details in Libya.

Because of Dr A.Q. Khan’s inconsiderate self-promotion, the army and the government took great pains to stop his arrest by the UN organisation for detailed investigation into his nuclear proliferation.

He was told to apologise to the nation and to stay home with full pay and privileges. But he, instead of complying and helping relieve the pressure caused by this awkward situation, insisted on giving statements against the government and leaders of Pakistan in the media to create a hype in the nation.

He used the media to promote himself as the champion of Pakistan’s nuclear programme. Even his family got involved by claming through various press briefings how Dr A.Q. Khan has been mistreated and how he has been made a ‘scapegoat’ by the leaders of Pakistan to save themselves.

And after years of listening and reading Dr A. Q. Khan’s statements, it was only recently when we found out from another nuclear scientist the truth about Dr A. Q. Khan.

It seems that Dr A. Q. Khan was not the person who started Pakistan’s nuclear programme, but instead he took over the project in its final years. But instead of making it better, his actions delayed the project by many years and also tripled the cost of the project.

In fact, it was not one scientist who created the nuclear bomb. There were dozens of scientists involved in this project. But Dr A. Q. Khan never mentioned them or even gave them any credit.

Why are the media and the government allowing him to give statements?

We, the nation, are not interested in listening to any more false or incorrect statements.

SHAHRYAR BASEER Peshawar