“Nawaz Sharif, not Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan, deserves to be called the hero of Pakistan’s nuclear program:” Rana Sanaullah

PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah acknowledged the pivotal role of nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan in the development of Pakistan’s atomic bomb but maintained that Khan cannot be labelled a "hero."

In a recent interview, Sanaullah said, “The credit for initiating Pakistan’s nuclear programme goes to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. However, starting a programme and developing it are not as significant as reaching the moment when a state declares itself a nuclear power through a successful test.”

He added that the defining moment for Pakistan’s nuclear capability came on May 28, 1998, with the nuclear tests conducted under the leadership of then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. “Had that moment not come then, it might still have been delayed to this day,” he said.

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Responding to claims that Nawaz Sharif was initially reluctant to conduct the nuclear tests, Sanaullah dismissed such allegations as baseless. “How could the Prime Minister of the country oppose it? These claims are made out of jealousy,” he remarked.

Sanaullah further stated that Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan was given the recognition he deserved for his contributions. “He will always be remembered for his role. However, he cannot be given the title of a leader or called a hero. If anyone deserves to be called the hero of Pakistan’s nuclear programme, it is Nawaz Sharif,” he concluded.