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Was Qadeer a scapegoat?

DUBAI - The unpardonable act of betrayal by the architect of Pakistan’s nuclear capability, Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan, has shocked the whole Pakistani nation. Swinging between belief and disbelief, the nation is still trying to come to terms with the fact that whether the hero of the nation had actually committed such a crime.

The Pakistani community in the UAE is also trying to figure out the reality keeping in mind the way recent events have been unfolding, but they are wary of the nuclear future of Pakistan.

Khaleej Times talked to a cross-section of Pakistani expats in the city to find out what they felt about the episode that has been grabbing headlines in global newspapers.

SALEEM FAROOQUE, General Secretary, Pakistan Association, Dubai:

I would like to say that, in the first place, nobody is above the law. If Dr A.Q. Khan has committed this crime, then he should be punished, because, as a Pakistani, I do not appreciate betrayal. But, I would also like to question the fact that until now, why have other leaders of Pakistan who have betrayed the country been spared. If we are setting a trend, then we should start from the very beginning (1971) and take an account of the crimes committed by responsible leaders then. Another thing that has surprised me is why Dr Khan was asked to appear on television and confess to his crime. This is happening for the first time in the history of Pakistan.

A. BATOOL, free-lance writer:

Apparently, Dr Khan has been made the scapegoat. The whole world knows that Pakistan has strong intelligence agencies that can detect irregularities, so how come they missed them in this particular case.

Even though, the government has labelled the case as being a unilateral and individual act, it does not mean that the US pressure will subside.

Besides, we have had good relations with Iran and this case makes it necessary for Pakistan to review its foreign policy. We should be prepared for the future though uncertainty is prevailing in the country. The events of the past few days seem like an arrangement, but the question is: “Will this arrangement suit Pakistan?”

MUEEZ HAIDER, banker:

The present political situation in Pakistan is perilous. I feel that Dr Khan is part of some bigger conspiracy. I also feel that he has been made a scapegoat because it is impossible for nuclear proliferation of such an extent to go unnoticed by any government for such a long time.

Pakistan has always been labelled a rogue state and obviously now the US pressure on Pakistan is that much greater as the country has been accused of proliferating nuclear technology to North Korea, Libya and Iran. And as President Pervez Musharraf keeps harping on national interest, it has become clear that an important individual can be ‘sacrificed’ for the nation’s sake.