Some from the scientific community have always maintained that Brand Qadeer was far more than any actual scientific acuity that he might have had. But even this skeptical lot never questioned his instinct for self-preservation and Machiavellian politicking. If there was anyone who could play the various players of the game, it was him. Well, it seems he doesn’t even have that in him anymore. Because the good doctor has been delightfully candid to a section of the press about the whole nuclear secrets racket. He has accused some generals, including a former army chief, no less, of taking kickbacks from the North Koreans in exchange for nuclear plans.
We could certainly expect the powers that be whose darling Dr Qadeer Khan is (was?) to stop coming to his defence in the future, perhaps even engage in a smear campaign. They have quite an arsenal at their disposal when it comes to the fine art of the mudsling.
The accused generals have vehemently denied any such involvement and, given the integrity of Gen (retd) Jehangir Karamat, there is no reason to disbelieve them. But it’s no clean chit for the nuclear set up as a whole. As anyone who is acquainted with the game knows, it is next to impossible to set up a one-man shop in the nuclear secrets trade. If the doctor’s 2004 admission of peddling state secrets was true – despite his backtracking later – then we can be certain there were other individuals within the security establishment (which has the last word on all things nuclear) that were involved in the whole sordid deal.
So much attention is paid to those rogue elements within the deep state who harbour ideological sympathies with religious extremists that we forget about the other rogue elements who follow no ideology other than the profit motive; no vanguard of the Muslim faith, the North Koreans. It has to be about the money.
Dr Qadeer might not know what’s good for him. But better is expected of the military. It would do them a whole lot of good to stay alert and clamp down on such activities, including the senior level, before the world does it for them.
No one had even the slightest doubt that self proclaimed doctor was the real perpetrator. But Pakistan has been known showering rose-petals on those who actually deserve a rain of shoes.
The guy made tons of money to live an outlandish life. Pakistan paid the price and will pay for many years to come.
Someone should have made a note when he came from Holland. A thief is always thief where he lives or does his things.
Comments are closed.