SWABI, Jan 20: Three personalities — Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, General Ziaul Haq and President Ghulam Ishaq Khan — would be remembered for their numerous contributions to the country’s nuclear programme as they successfully resisted foreign pressure at the peak of Islamabad’s secret nuclear activities.

This was stated by former vice-chief of army staff Gen Khalid Mahmood Arif while addressing a full reference held in honour of Ghulam Ishaq Khan, former president and president of the Society for the Promotion of Engineering Sciences and Technology in Pakistan (SOPREST) at the GIK Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology on Saturday.

The founder of GIK Institute Ghulam Ishaq Khan passed away in Peshawar on Oct 27.

The US, said Gen Arif, had applied various pressures to close down Pakistan’snuclear programme at its crucial stage but Ghulam Ishaq Khan had not compromised.

Former Senate chairman Wasim Sajjad said that various national leaders contributed to Pakistan’s nuclear programme but Ghulam Ishaq Khan was among the top leaders. He made very critical decisions and declared that no one could derail Pakistan nuclear programme.

He said that even when the Cold War ended and the United States emerged as the only global superpower, Ghulam Ishaq Khan did not bow before the American threats of dire consequences, he said. "He was branded ‘Mr Nuke’ in American circles."

Several associates of former president and his relatives participated in the reference. They spoke about his life and numerous contributions to economic and political stability of the country.

His son Mamoon Ishaq Khan and sons-in-law, former Federal Minister Anwar Saifullah and Dr Zafar Durrani and grandson Osman Saifullah Khan attended the reference.

Former chairman Wapda Shah Nawaz, Chairman and Executive Director of SOPREST Shamsul Mulk and H U Beg also participated in the reference.