Abdul Qadeer Khan - Government Work and Political Advocacy

Government Work and Political Advocacy

Despite his controversies, Qadeer Khan was commuted by much of the scientific community, but was still quite welcome in the military science circles. In 2001, Musharraf awarded promotion to Abdul Qadeer Khan as the principle Science Adviser to the President. While this was regarded as a promotion, it removed him from hands-on management and allowed the government to keep a closer eye on his activities. Following his confession in 2004, Khan became a major international symbol of proliferation. Leading Western political correspondents, such as of Time magazine, feature its publication as the "Merchant of Menace", labelled "the world's most dangerous nuclear trafficker," and in November 2005, the Atlantic Monthly ran "The Wrath of Khan", featured a picture of a mushroom cloud behind Khan's head on the cover.

But back in home, Abdul Qadeer Khan remained extremely populous figure and many saw as national hero of Pakistan. Science in Pakistan served as Pakistan's extreme national pride, and Khan's long association with science bought Khan a tremendous popularity.

The (meritorious) services of Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan are "unforgettable" for our beloved country, Pakistan.... —Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, source

On a television speech in 2007, Prime minister Aziz paid a huge tribute to Abdul Qadeer Khan and while commenting on last part of his speech, Aziz stressed it: "(...)....The services of (nuclear) scientist... Dr. (Abdul) Qadeer Khan are "unforgettable" for the country..(..)....". In 2012, Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan announced to form a a political party Movement to Protect Pakistan. In late 1980s, Abdul Qadeer Khan promoted the funding of the Pakistan's integrated space weapons project and vigorously supported, and supervised the Hatf-I and Ghauri-I program.

Since his return to his homeland, Abdul Qadeer Khan elevated to became as country's top scientist and involved in country's scientific programmes for more than two decades. His long association with science in Pakistan has brought Khan a great laurels and an extreme popularity in Pakistan. Khan secured the fellowship and the presidency of Pakistan Academy of Sciences, whose fellowship is highly restricted to scientists. Through Pakistan Academy of Sciences, Khan published two books on metallurgy and material science. Khan began to published his articles from KRL in 1980s, and began to organise conferences on Metallurgy by inviting materiel scientists from all over the world. Gopal S. Upadhyaya, an Indian nuclear scientist and metallurgist as well, attended Khan's conference in 1980s and personally met him along with Kuldip Nayar. In Upadhyaya's words, Khan was a proud Pakistani who wanted to show the world that he and scientists from Pakistan are no inferior to any one in the world.

One of his notable contribution at the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology when he served as the Project-Director of this university. After the construction of institute was completed, Khan took the Professorship of Physics while also served as the Chairman of Department of Metallurgy and Materials Science at the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology. Later, Khan helped established the Dr. A. Q. Khan Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering at the Karachi University.