Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Minister for National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam on Thursday said that Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan was an iconic person, who provided an unassailable security shield for the country and his services for national defense building would be long remembered.
Addressing a condolence reference organized by Preston University in collaboration with The Archaeological and Historical Association of Pakistan in memory of great nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan was attended by Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam, Dr. Ghazanfar Mehdi, Vice Chancellor Preston University Dr. Abdul Basit, Chairman of Pakistan Society of Europe Syed Shabbir Tajammal Rizvi, Retired Lt General Riaz achi Han and chairman of KRL Javed Ashraf Mirza.
Fakhar said that Dr. AQ Khan was a truly savior of Pakistan and everyone should follow his model of patriotism, loyalty and commitment in order to make the country an economically developed and socially prosperous.
He said that Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan was the architect of national nuclear program and initiated work on nuclear technology in 1974 in order to make the national defense impregnable and making secure about 220 million Pakistanis from any aggression.
Due to his untiring efforts, on May 28, 1998 Pakistan had become first Muslim nuclear state of the world, he said adding that his efforts also enabled the country to be averted all Indian threats and its conspiracies an maintaining strategic balanced of power in the region.
The minister said that Dr. AQ Khan also contributed in other social sectors development programs and established many institutions, which were helping in promoting education and health care facilities across the country. He called upon the youth to follow his footprints in order to uplift the country and making it more safer, developed and prosperous for coming generation.
Speaking at the occasion, Vice Chancellor Preston University Dr Abdul Basit said that the great scientist had changed the strategic balance of power in the region by making Pakistan as a nuclear power, adding that his persona was a great source of inspiration for youth in order to make the country more secure, safer and developed for coming generations.
Addressing the reference daughter of late Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan’s daughter Dr Deena Khan thanked the organizers for organizing the event and said that love and respect shown by the people all across the country for her late father was comforting her family and asked for remembering late Dr. AQ Khan in their prayers.
She said that her father was a religious, spiritual and patriot person, adding that great scientist was much passionate about education and considered it as basic tool for the social and economic development of the country. She stressed the need for carrying forward mission of Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan in other fields including health and education for the welfare of common man in the country.