ASSOCIATED PRESS OF PAKISTAN
Nuclear tests to ensure peace in the region: Qadeer
ISLAMABAD, June 2 (APP): Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, father of country's nuclear programme, said he believed the nuclear bomb is a peace guarantor. "It has given peace to Europe, it has given peace to other places, it will give peace to us." However, Qadeer said the nuclear bomb was created "by those people who are supposed to be champions and the father of civilization and human rights," when he was asked why he had "created something terrible" for the humanity. "I did not create it," he added. Pakistan is just trying to ensure its security and safety, he said and added, the Indians provoked us to go nuclear. "We had the capability for the last 15 or 16 years, but we never tried to test (even) one,"he told BBC in an interview. But all of a sudden the Indians tested five devices 50 km from Pakistan border, so "there was a tremendous pressure on us, there was a public demand and there was a psychological pressure on us." The first test conducted by Pakistan was more powerful than the normal, and it was twice the size of the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, he said. "They (ours) are much smaller but compact weapons." When asked if these devices were designed to be fitted into missiles, he replied, "Without any trouble, one should not be under any illusion," because these devices can be ready in a few days too. To a question if the tests could be termed as political instead of scientific, he said it depends on the government because the scientists and engineers are like cooks, who prepare meal on order. "So it is upto the government if it asks us to do something we will do it." Giving an idea how the test looked like, he said, "It shook the whole earth under our feet and it was something like a earthquake of 6 or more on the richter scale." The mountains also changed their colour from black to completely white. A lot of dust also blew up in the air. Clarifying the number of tests conducted by Pakistan, he said initially fives tests were carried out, and then there was a plan for testing two more units, but the Prime Minster said one was enough. Anyway, "the message has been conveyed (to our enemies) we have shown our credibility (and) our credentials." When pointed out that the Foreign Minister, Gohar Ayub Khan had said two tests were conducted on May 30, he said, "He (Gohar) was given the initial message that we will be testing two, but at the last minute the government decided that only one should be tested, probably he could not get the message."
Dr. Qadeer reacts to Fernandes'absurd statements, says "no atom bomb is a pingpong"
ISLAMABAD, Jun 2 (APP): Decrying Indian Defence Minister's absurd statements regarding Pakistan's nuclear tests Eminent Nuclear Scientist Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan has said "only an ignorant person can make such assertion" and added" no atom bomb is pingpong." "One cannot imagine what can be the fate of a city when an atom bomb is dropped on it". Dr Qadeer in an interview with BBC said, "in 1945, small atom bombs were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki." He (Fernandes) should go there and see what had happened to those cities, Dr Qadeer Khan remarked. "These tests are being carried out fifty years after that incident and these bombs are far more powerful than those bombs", he maintained. Giving the details of the six nuclear tests carried by Pakistan on Thursday and Saturday, he said, "the first explosion was big. It was of about 35 to 36 kilo ton, while the others were smaller", he added.
Pakistan sends relief supplies to Quake-hit Afghanistan
ISLAMABAD, June 2 (APP): Pakistan on Monday began supply of relief goods to the victims of earthquake in Afghanistan. Following Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif's directives for immediate supplies of relief goods to the earthquake victims of Badakhshan and Takhar Provinces, a PAF C-130 carrying relief goods including tents and blankets took off from Chaklala airbase for Mazar-e-Sharif Monday morning. The quake, measuring 7.0 on richter scale hit northern Afghanistan on Saturday, killing over 3,000 people and erasing entire villages. Pakistan's Ambassador to Kabul would be handing over these goods at Mazar-e-Sharif airport.
Analysts for Kashmir solution before de-nuclearization efforts
ISLAMABAD, June 2 (APP): Defence and political analysts on South Asia
believe that a settlement of the UN-recognized Kashmir dispute must precede
any worthwhile efforts for de-nuclearization. "Is there a better way to
prevent an arms race in the region? How about giving the eternal Comprehensive
Test Ban Treaty CTBT a rest and look at the real issues that inflame the
region," concludes an editorial in Washington Times. The editorial, commenting
on Pakistan's logical response to Indian nuclear explosions, stresses that
NPT and CTBT have not in themselves solved international problems. "Surely,
it is time the US Administration woke up and acknowledged that the nuclear
Non-proliferation Treaty and the CTBT do not in and of themselves solve
THE longstanding international problems. "As a smaller country facing a
nuclear armed, superior power across a disputed border, Pakistan did the
logical thing, if not the helpful thing
Bilateral, regional matters to be discussed during Kharazi's visit
ISLAMABAD, June 2 (APP): Foreign Minister Gohar Ayub Khan on Monday welcomed the visit of his Iranian counterpart to Pakistan and said bilateral and regional issues including regional security and Afghan problem would be discussed during the meeting. In his statement on arrival of Kamal Kharazi to Islamabad, he said, the visit is part of regular high level consultations between the two countries. He said the talks with Iranian officials would follow up on the discussions held between the leaders of the two countries on the sidelines of the fifth Summit of Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) in Almaty last month. "We would certainly focus on the situation in Afghanistan with a view to promoting intra-Afghan dialogue and a peaceful solution of the conflict," he said and added,"we would seek to intensify our joint efforts for acceleration of the peace process." Khan said, discussions would also cover expansion of bilateral trade and economic linkages including the Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline and refinery projects. Both sides would take stock of the progress and discuss ways and means of finalizing them expeditiously.
Pakistan opposes all unjust embargoes, resisting it for self- defence
ISLAMABAD, June 2 (APP): Pakistan will oppose all unjust embargoes aimed
at preventing it from exercising its right to develop various technologies
for self-defence and peaceful purposes, official sources said. Reacting
to threats of embargoes by some countries, the sources here on Monday said
that Pakistan reserves the right to take all measures possible to safeguard
its national security. Detonation of its nuclear devices do not pose any
threat to regional or world peace in any manner, whatsoever. The recently
exploded devices are purely for self-defence. Pakistan's nuclear tests
are not aimed at escalating atomic arms race. Instead, they serve as atomic
arms deterrent and an effective counter to check the Hindu fundamentalists'
nuclear threat. It was pointed that India acted with deceit and deception
to hide its preparations for atomic blasts. On the other hand, despite
all foreign pressures, Pakistan never denied that it would forego its nuclear
option, the sources added.
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