Latest news with #AbdulQadeerKhan
Business Recorder
5 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
JI Karachi links school dropouts to corruption in Sindh
KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi chief Monem Zafar Khan has blamed widespread corruption and flawed government policies for keeping more than 7.8 million children out of school in Sindh alone, out of a total of 26 million nationwide. Speaking at a book and schoolbag distribution ceremony organized on Thursday by JI's New Karachi Town chapter, Monem Zafar Khan said the public education sector had once produced exceptional individuals such as the late nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan. He lamented that the same institutions have now been devastated due to mismanagement and corrupt practices by successive governments and an incompetent administration. He pointed out that despite the Sindh government allocating over Rs613 billion for education, the sector continues to deteriorate. He said the public schooling system had been on a sharp decline for the last two decades, giving rise to an unchecked boom in private schools and creating a wider gap between social classes. Monem Zafar Khan also highlighted the role of vested interests and elite indifference in worsening the situation. He said that it was not just a matter of budget mismanagement, but also a deliberate neglect by those in power that has driven children away from educational institutions. He asserted that JI has remained committed to the cause of education. Despite limited resources, the party had successfully restored over 45 public schools in nine towns of Karachi during the past two years. He announced JI's next target is to upgrade all public schools in these areas and improve student enrolment while also encouraging youth participation in sports for better physical and mental health. The JI leader also participated in the party's 'Make Karachi Green' drive by planting a tree during the event. Reflecting on the significance of the month of August, he called on the nation to honour Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah's vision by striving for a future where every child has access to quality and uniform education. He reiterated that education remains the only sustainable path to national progress and revival. New Karachi Town Chairman Muhammad Yousuf and JI leader Tariq Mujtiba also addressed the ceremony. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Explained: Why is Martyrs' Day in Jammu and Kashmir controversial?
The political temperature in Jammu and Kashmir rose ahead of July 13, observed as Martyrs' Day, as police imposed restrictions and detained political leaders. According to media reports, the J&K Police, along with Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), enforced a partial lockdown in Srinagar to prevent gatherings at the Martyrs' Graveyard. Former chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti were reportedly denied entry to the cemetery. Calling the move 'blatantly undemocratic', he added: 'The July 13 massacre is our Jallianwala Bagh. What a shame that true heroes who fought against British rule in all its forms are today projected as villains only because they were Muslims.' Let's understand the history of Martyrs' Day in Jammu and Kashmir and why this day remains deeply divisive. Origin of Martyrs' Day Martyrs' Day commemorates the 21 Kashmiri Muslim protesters killed on July 13, 1931, by the Dogra regime during British India. The protesters had assembled outside Srinagar Central Jail, demanding the release of Abdul Qadeer Khan, who had been arrested for inciting rebellion against Maharaja Hari Singh. As the crowd swelled, Dogra troops opened fire, killing 22. The bodies were buried at the shrine of Muslim saint Khwaja Bahawuddin Naqshbandi in Srinagar. The site became known as Mazar-e-Shuhada, or the Martyrs' Graveyard. The day has since been observed as a symbol of resistance and the struggle for Kashmiri self-determination. Who was Abdul Qadeer Khan? There is limited documentation on Abdul Qadeer Khan's origins, but he is widely believed to have worked for a British officer, Major Butt, in Peshawar. In Kashmir, Khan gave impassioned speeches against the Dogra regime, leading to his arrest. He was charged with 'sedition' and provocation with 'intent to cause riot'. His arrest and trial triggered widespread protests, culminating in the July 13 killings. Revoking the holiday and ongoing demands From 1931 until 2019, July 13 was an official public holiday in Jammu and Kashmir. However, after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, the Lieutenant Governor's administration removed the day from the list of official holidays. This move was seen by many as an effort to reshape Kashmir's historical narrative. While Kashmiri Muslims regard July 13 as a day of remembrance, some Kashmiri Pandit groups have historically observed it as a 'Black Day'. Regional parties such as the National Conference, which is now in power in the Union territory, have continued to demand restoration of the holiday and permission for public observances.
Indian Express
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Kashmir leaders under house arrest: What is the row over ‘Martyrs' Day'
Politics in Jammu and Kashmir is heating up over 'Martyrs' Day' on July 13, the official holiday for which was scrapped after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. This is the first time since then that an elected government is in power. The valley's main political parties had resolved to visit the 'Martyrs' Cemetery' in old Srinagar city on July 13 to pay their tributes, while the BJP opposed any official commemoration. Now, Jammu and Kashmir Police have put several leaders across the political divide under house detention to prevent them from visiting the cemetery. What is the history behind the 'Martyrs' day' and why is a controversy surrounding it? Before the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status in 2019, July 13 was officially commemorated as Martyrs' Day in the erstwhile state as a tribute to 22 people killed by the Dogra regime in 1931. They had been assembled outside Srinagar's central jail in protest when they were shot by the police. In the run-up to July 13, 1931, several incidents had already taken place, brewing discontent against the Dogra rulers. It was in this backdrop that Abdul Qadeer Khan, in June 1931, gave a fiery speech against the Dogras and asked the people to rise against them. Khan, whose origin is not certain, was a cook of a British Army officer who was on a vacation to Kashmir. Khan was charged by the Dogra regime for sedition. As the trial began in July 1931, a large gathering of Kashmiri Muslims assembled outside the court of the Session's judge in Srinagar. The trial was shifted to Srinagar central jail, which was put under heavy security protection. On July 13, around 4,000 to 5,000 people assembled outside the jail to witness the trial. The people tried to enter inside the premises but were prevented. They camped outside the jail. It was during this protest that the Dogra police opened fire, killing 22 Kashmiri Muslims and injuring many. There are competing narratives about what led to the firing. While some say that the protestors tried to break the jail gates and pelted stones, the dominant narrative is that they were camped outside the jail and began shouting slogans when the then Srinagar deputy commissioner arrived at the scene. As a local Muslim stood up to call for the noon prayers, he was fired at by the police. The police then opened fire on the protestors, killing 22. The slain protestors were taken to Srinagar's grand mosque and buried in the premises of the shrine of a Muslim saint, Khawja Bahaudin Naqashbandi. It was at this cemetery that Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, then a top leader of Muslim Conference — he later changed the Muslim Conference to a secular National Conference — announced that July 13 would 'henceforth be observed as Martyrs' day'. Official Holiday and Commemorations July 13 was officially commemorated as 'Martyrs' day' in Jammu and Kashmir and the day was observed as a state holiday till August 2019. The Chief Minister and political leaders would visit the 'Martyrs' cemetery' in Srinagar to pay tributes. The BJP opposed this. In 2015, when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) formed a coalition government with the BJP, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti visited the graveyard, but BJP leaders, including the deputy chief minister and ministers, most of whom hailed from Jammu, didn't join her. Since the formation of the coalition, the BJP leaders and ministers had started to demand a holiday on the birth anniversary of Maharaja Hari Singh, the Dogra king in power when the 1931 killings took place. 'Martyrs' across the divide July 13 was perhaps the only occasion where the separatists and the mainstream political parties were unanimous, and that is why the departed were called 'martyrs' of all'. While the government would officially commemorate the day declaring it a holiday, the separatists would call a shutdown on the day to protest against their killing. The protests on July 13, 1931 were seen as the first assertion of Muslim identity in Jammu and Kashmir and the beginning of the struggle for freedom. Scrapping the Holiday After the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status on August 5, 2019, the Centre-appointed Lt Governor scrapped the official holiday on July 13. The holiday on the birth anniversary of National Conference founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah was also scrapped. The official commemorations of the 'Martyrs' day' were stopped and the administration prevented political leaders and parties from commemorating the day by sealing the 'martyrs' cemetery' and putting the leaders under house detention. In addition, the LG administration in 2022 declared the birth anniversary of Maharaja Hari Singh as a public holiday. Omar Abdullah government in a fix Since coming to power, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has tried to avoid confrontations with the Centre, earning some criticism over it in the Valley. For Martyrs' Day, while the National Conference as a political party had said it would visit the cemetery and sought permission for an event, the government was silent on the issue. There was no word from the government on the official commemoration. The Peoples Democratic Party already accused the Omar Abdullah government of 'shifting the onus from elected government to their party'. 'For the first time in 78 years, an elected government in J&K is distancing itself from the martyrs who laid down their lives against autocracy,' the PDP said. However, on Sunday, after the police (they come under the L-G) put several leaders under house arrest, Omar called it a 'blatantly undemocratic move'. '13th July massacre is our Jallianwala Bagh. The people who laid down their lives did so against the British. Kashmir was being ruled under the British Paramountcy. What a shame that true heroes who fought against British rule in all its forms are today projected as villains only because they were Muslims. We may be denied the opportunity to visit their graves today but we will not forget their sacrifices,' the CM tweeted. Bashaarat Masood is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express. He has been covering Jammu and Kashmir, especially the conflict-ridden Kashmir valley, for two decades. Bashaarat joined The Indian Express after completing his Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University in Kashmir. He has been writing on politics, conflict and development. Bashaarat was awarded with the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2012 for his stories on the Pathribal fake encounter. ... Read More
India.com
21-06-2025
- Politics
- India.com
Stolen nuclear bomb's blueprints, smuggled parts: Here's how Pakistani scientist AQ Khan supported Iran's nuclear dreams
Stolen nuclear bomb's blueprints, smuggled parts: Here's how Pakistani scientist AQ Khan supported Iran's nuclear dreams The prime reason behind the Iran-Israel conflict is Tehran's nuclear program. It is the reason why Israel launched deadly airstrikes and missile barrages. Interestingly, the nuclear program, which is at the heart of the ongoing war, was not built by Iran. The Middle Eastern country acquired crucial information, technology, and expertise from another country, effectively buying it into existence. It all started before the world grew concerned about Tehran's uranium enrichment at Natanz. The country had already found a shortcut – thanks to a Pakistani nuclear scientist named Abdul Qadeer Khan, who is a hero in Pakistan but infamous worldwide for running a dangerous black-market nuclear network. Khan sold centrifuge designs, crucial parts and blueprints of the nuclear bomb to Iran which he stole from Europe. He sent Pakistani-made components to Iran through secret routes in Malaysia and Dubai. It is a fact that Iran's nuclear program grew from Khan's underground network. Abdul Qadeer Khan was a Pakistani metallurgist who stole nuclear bomb's blueprints from Europe and built Pakistan's atomic bomb. He later shared the knowledge, creating the world's most dangerous black market for nuclear technology — one that gave Iran much more than just ambition.
India.com
19-06-2025
- Business
- India.com
How Pakistani Scientist's Nuclear Black Market Fuelled Iran's Nuclear Ambitions
New Delhi: Before the world ever saw satellite images of buried centrifuges at Natanz, before the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) dispatched teams to inspect suspicious sites in Fordow and long before Israeli missiles lit up Iranian skies this month, the seeds of Tehran's nuclear capability were already sown. But it happened in Pakistan, Dubai and Kuala Lumpur. At the center of this shadowy nuclear web was Abdul Qadeer Khan – Pakistani metallurgist who, decades ago, stole blueprints from Europe and built Pakistan's atomic bomb. What few could imagine then was that Khan would go on to export that know-how in secret, creating the world's most dangerous underground market for nuclear technology – one that would arm Iran with more than just ambition. Khan began his nuclear journey in the laboratories of Europe in the early 1970s, working for Urenco Group – a Dutch-German-British nuclear consortium. It was there that he accessed and copied sensitive centrifuge designs. By 1975, he returned to Pakistan with a suitcase full of secrets. His role in developing Pakistan's uranium enrichment programme at Kahuta earned him celebrity status at home. But while the world celebrated non-proliferation treaties, he quietly flipped the script. In the 1980s and 1990s, he built a secret pipeline that bypassed governments and treaties. Operating through shell companies, friendly states and willing middlemen, Khan's network smuggled critical nuclear equipment, blueprints and even bomb designs to multiple countries. Iran was one among them. The most consequential sale came in 1987. Iranian officials met intermediaries of Khan's network in Dubai and secured an initial package: centrifuge blueprints, assembly manuals and a roadmap to enrichment. These were based on the P1 and P2 centrifuges – the same models Pakistan used to develop its bomb. In the 1990s, entire sets of components – bellows, rotors, vacuum pumps and high-speed motors – made their way to Iran. Much of the hardware was built in Malaysian factories under Khan's supervision and then disguised and routed through Dubai to avoid detection. By the early 2000s, Iran had a pilot enrichment facility running. The world watched, stunned, as Tehran's capabilities grew faster than intelligence agencies had predicted. But the acceleration was not magic – it was the Khan blueprint at work. Khan's operation was not run out of basements or back alleys. It looked like legitimate business. Precision parts came from Europe and Southeast Asia. Firms like Scomi Precision Engineering in Malaysia manufactured rotors and pipes under the radar. Dubai-based logistics firms repackaged them for discreet delivery to Iran. One of the biggest exposes came in 2003, when U.S. and British forces intercepted a ship bound for Libya. Onboard were centrifuge parts matching Khan's designs. That led to Libya giving up its nuclear program and to the unraveling of the entire network. Investigations by the IAEA and Western intelligence revealed that Khan had sold similar materials to North Korea and Iran. Technical documents recovered from Iranian facilities bore unmistakable Pakistani signatures – even Chinese-style bomb schematics that Khan had allegedly passed along. What Did Iran Really Get? Centrifuge designs: Detailed plans for P1 and P2 centrifuges – blueprints, machining tolerances and assembly procedures. Manufactured parts: From rotors to vacuum systems, thousands of components were delivered over years. Weaponisation docs: Perhaps the most alarming were documents on how to build an implosion-style nuclear weapon. These were not basic concepts, they included measurements, trigger designs and engineering drawings. Technical support: Though no direct evidence exists of Pakistani scientists physically working in Iran, declassified files suggest consistent technical communication and support through intermediaries. The Lasting Impact Even today, Iran's centrifuge models – IR-1 and IR-2 – closely mirror Khan's P1s and P2s. While Iran insists its programme is peaceful, the technological DNA traces directly back to Khan's black-market empire. In 2022, Israeli intelligence leaked documents suggesting that Iran's 'AMAD Plan', an alleged nuclear weapons programme halted in 2003, used Khan-provided blueprints to model bomb designs. The war now raging between Israel and Iran has reignited fears that Tehran's decades-long accumulation of nuclear knowledge may still carry a weapons-grade potential. And while Iran denies any intent to build a bomb, its ability to do so was never entirely homegrown. It was bought, smuggled and built – piece by piece – in the shadows of Abdul Qadeer Khan's legacy.
