ISLAMABAD // Last week a high court in Islamabad lifted the house arrest of Abdul Qadeer Khan, the nuclear proliferator hailed as a national hero and the father of the country's atomic bomb.
While the surprise decision has rejuvenated his supporters, it drew sharp criticism from the United States and other western countries and has also led to questions in Pakistan over how extensive Mr Khan's role was in the country's nuclear programme.
But the euphoria over Mr Khan's supporters has already been dampened as it becomes clear his freedom is conditional and a broad umbrella of government security will continue to loom over him, apparently because of threats to his life.
Mr Khan, a metallurgist by training, had confessed to running the world's largest private proliferation network in a televised emotional public apology in Feb 2004. He was pardoned by the former president Pervez Musharraf but was put under virtual house arrest.
Pakistani officials have taken great pains to assuage international concerns that Mr Khan's release would result in the resurgence of his proliferation network.
The release has come only after an "understanding" between the government and Mr Khan, according to his wife, Henny.
While the Khans remained tightlipped over the details of this secret understanding, Pakistani officials say Mr Khan will only be able to meet his friends and family after getting approval from the security agencies. He is not allowed to travel abroad and needs to inform the government 48 hours in advance of his travel plans within the country. Mr Khan has also agreed not to talk about his work or the country's nuclear programme.
This has led staunch supporters of Mr Khan to declare his release as a "farce".
"Suddenly the government, under pressure from external forces, once again put such conditionalities on [Mr Khan] that effectively his old incarceration status has been revived, " Shirin Mazari, the spokesperson of political party Tehreek-e-Insaaf, wrote in an article last week.
While Mr Khan's role in the country's nuclear programme continues to be glorified by his broad base of supporters, piercing questions about his controversial conduct and actual contribution to the making of the nuclear bomb have also started surfacing.
Television talks shows have also started debating the controversies surrounding the saga of Abdul Qadeer Khan.
Critics say that an orchestrated and systematic media public relations campaign launched by Mr Khan since the 1980s built up his myth of being the "father of the country's nuclear programme". Subsequently, his persona assumed a folkloric stature.
This myth provided Mr Khan with perpetual immunity and protection from all criticism at home and all accountability following the revelation of his proliferation activities.
Mr Khan headed the centrifuge enrichment plant at Kahuta, which has been the public face of Pakistan's nuclear programme. But he was not involved in all the critical steps before and after uranium enrichment and the actual design, development and testing of Pakistan's nuclear weapons.
"It was a multi-disciplinary and institutional team effort spanning over three decades," said M A Chaudhry, an Islamabad-based independent researcher, who is writing a book on the country's nuclear programme.
"The nuclear programme's success involved the mastery of several-high technologies by hundreds of scientists and engineers rather than one single individual."
Nuclear tests by Pakistan in 1998 were carried out by the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission in response to Indian's testing of its nuclear device. Mr Khan was invited to Chaghi, the nuclear test site, merely as a guest.
"He was heading only one project and not the entire nuclear programme. Everything else from uranium exploration, refining, conversion, fuel fabrication, plutonium production and reprocessing to nuclear weapons development was developed and run by the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission in over 20 labs and projects", said Mr Chaudhry.
"Every bit was as crucial to the bomb as uranium enrichment, which was the only step that Khan headed."
But despite the critical voices that question the veracity of Mr Khan's claims that he single-handedly was able to steer this poverty-stricken nation to the status of a de-facto nuclear state, his myth remains unshaken and continues to awe public imagination.
Interestingly, conspiracy theories abound regarding the circumstances of Mr Khan's release.
Some, like defence analyst Zaid Hamid, have even gone as far as declaring the release part of a "grand American design to denuclearise Pakistan".
Mr Khan is known to relish media attention and some fear he might make statements that will implicate the Pakistani military in his proliferation activities.
This would consequently increase pressure on the Pakistani government to hand him over to the United States or the International Atomic Energy Commission.
The Musharraf government did not allow foreign investigators to question Mr Khan.
"[Khan] wants to get even with those who humiliated him, even if it means ditching the very country which gave him all he has," said Zaid Hamid, a defence and security analyst who also hosts a popular television show on current affairs.
"He has a serious ego problem and can go to any lengths to settle old scores, even compromising the national security."
smasood@thenational.ae
The specs
Engine: 4 liquid-cooled permanent magnet synchronous electric motors placed at each wheel
Battery: Rimac 120kWh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) chemistry
Power: 1877bhp
Torque: 2300Nm
Price: Dh7,500,00
On sale: Now
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
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Gran Gala del Calcio 2019 winners
Best Player: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
Best Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta)
Best Referee: Gianluca Rocchi
Best Goal: Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria vs Napoli)
Best Team: Atalanta
Best XI: Samir Handanovic (Inter); Aleksandar Kolarov (Roma), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), Joao Cancelo (Juventus*); Miralem Pjanic (Juventus), Josip Ilicic (Atalanta), Nicolo Barella (Cagliari*); Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Duvan Zapata (Atalanta)
Serie B Best Young Player: Sandro Tonali (Brescia)
Best Women’s Goal: Thaisa (Milan vs Juventus)
Best Women’s Player: Manuela Giugliano (Milan)
Best Women’s XI: Laura Giuliani (Milan); Alia Guagni (Fiorentina), Sara Gama (Juventus), Cecilia Salvai (Juventus), Elisa Bartoli (Roma); Aurora Galli (Juventus), Manuela Giugliano (Roma), Valentina Cernoia (Juventus); Valentina Giacinti (Milan), Ilaria Mauro (Fiorentina), Barbara Bonansea (Juventus)
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Brief scores:
Juventus 3
Dybala 6', Bonucci 17', Ronaldo 63'
Frosinone 0
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
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Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
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UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
Arrogate's winning run
1. Maiden Special Weight, Santa Anita Park, June 5, 2016
2. Allowance Optional Claiming, Santa Anita Park, June 24, 2016
3. Allowance Optional Claiming, Del Mar, August 4, 2016
4. Travers Stakes, Saratoga, August 27, 2016
5. Breeders' Cup Classic, Santa Anita Park, November 5, 2016
6. Pegasus World Cup, Gulfstream Park, January 28, 2017
7. Dubai World Cup, Meydan Racecourse, March 25, 2017
Company profile
Date started: January, 2014
Founders: Mike Dawson, Varuna Singh, and Benita Rowe
Based: Dubai
Sector: Education technology
Size: Five employees
Investment: $100,000 from the ExpoLive Innovation Grant programme in 2018 and an initial $30,000 pre-seed investment from the Turn8 Accelerator in 2014. Most of the projects are government funded.
Partners/incubators: Turn8 Accelerator; In5 Innovation Centre; Expo Live Innovation Impact Grant Programme; Dubai Future Accelerators; FHI 360; VSO and Consult and Coach for a Cause (C3)
Company%20profile
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PROFILE BOX
Company name: Overwrite.ai
Founder: Ayman Alashkar
Started: Established in 2020
Based: Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai
Sector: PropTech
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Oscars in the UAE
The 90th Academy Awards will be aired in the UAE from 3.30am on Monday, March 5 on OSN, with the ceremony starting at 5am
Rajasthan Royals 153-5 (17.5 ov)
Delhi Daredevils 60-4 (6 ov)
Rajasthan won by 10 runs (D/L method)
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Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
BIOSAFETY LABS SECURITY LEVELS
Biosafety Level 1
The lowest safety level. These labs work with viruses that are minimal risk to humans.
Hand washing is required on entry and exit and potentially infectious material decontaminated with bleach before thrown away.
Must have a lock. Access limited. Lab does not need to be isolated from other buildings.
Used as teaching spaces.
Study microorganisms such as Staphylococcus which causes food poisoning.
Biosafety Level 2
These labs deal with pathogens that can be harmful to people and the environment such as Hepatitis, HIV and salmonella.
Working in Level 2 requires special training in handling pathogenic agents.
Extra safety and security precautions are taken in addition to those at Level 1
Biosafety Level 3
These labs contain material that can be lethal if inhaled. This includes SARS coronavirus, MERS, and yellow fever.
Significant extra precautions are taken with staff given specific immunisations when dealing with certain diseases.
Infectious material is examined in a biological safety cabinet.
Personnel must wear protective gowns that must be discarded or decontaminated after use.
Strict safety and handling procedures are in place. There must be double entrances to the building and they must contain self-closing doors to reduce risk of pathogen aerosols escaping.
Windows must be sealed. Air from must be filtered before it can be recirculated.
Biosafety Level 4
The highest level for biosafety precautions. Scientist work with highly dangerous diseases that have no vaccine or cure.
All material must be decontaminated.
Personnel must wear a positive pressure suit for protection. On leaving the lab this must pass through decontamination shower before they have a personal shower.
Entry is severely restricted to trained and authorised personnel. All entries are recorded.
Entrance must be via airlocks.
World Cup League Two
Results
Oman beat Nepal by 18 runs
Oman beat United States by six wickets
Nepal beat United States by 35 runs
Oman beat Nepal by eight wickets
Fixtures
Tuesday, Oman v United States
Wednesday, Nepal v United States
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
AIDA%20RETURNS
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German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
Ready Player One
Dir: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Mark Rylance
Brief scores:
Toss: South Africa, chose to field
Pakistan: 177 & 294
South Africa: 431 & 43-1
Man of the Match: Faf du Plessis (South Africa)
Series: South Africa lead three-match series 2-0
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THE 12 BREAKAWAY CLUBS
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
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Youngest F1 driver (17 years 3 days Japan 2014)
Youngest driver to start an F1 race (17 years 166 days – Australia 2015)
Youngest F1 driver to score points (17 years 180 days - Malaysia 2015)
Youngest driver to lead an F1 race (18 years 228 days – Spain 2016)
Youngest driver to set an F1 fastest lap (19 years 44 days – Brazil 2016)
Youngest on F1 podium finish (18 years 228 days – Spain 2016)
Youngest F1 winner (18 years 228 days – Spain 2016)
Youngest multiple F1 race winner (Mexico 2017/18)
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Cases of coronavirus in the GCC as of March 15
Saudi Arabia – 103 infected, 0 dead, 1 recovered
UAE – 86 infected, 0 dead, 23 recovered
Bahrain – 210 infected, 0 dead, 44 recovered
Kuwait – 104 infected, 0 dead, 5 recovered
Qatar – 337 infected, 0 dead, 4 recovered
Oman – 19 infected, 0 dead, 9 recovered