Setting aside the question whether a nuclear bomb is desirable, the main question that airs with the Qadeer Affair is why did it take him all of 30 years NOT to discover how a nuclear bomb is put together and then ignited. One has deliberately used the negative because if it had been discovered or assembled within a couple of years, the endless wealth that the good doctor was able to requester over the 30 years would have not been his. The perpetually open tap, year in and year out enable him, as already published to pocket 10 billion dollars. That is a lot of money by any measure and is approaching what Bill Gates has amassed honestly and honourably. And yet, when eventually a few years ago, he is alleged to have exploded nuclear devices at Chagi in Baluchistan in a cave, it is questionable whether they were nuclear or TNT. I venture to suggest that they were NOT nuclear. The reason for so saying is that immediately after the explosion, in fact a day after, Nawaz Sharif, the then Prime Minister was taken to the cave where the devices had been exploded and he was photographed within. These photographs were published. If the device exploded had been nuclear it is most unlikely the cave in which it was exploded would be intact and secondly the site would be so radio-active that even the bravest of prime ministers would not dare to enter much less linger and be photographed. Nor would the photographers or the entourage accompanying the prime minister.

The next question is that how was it that this man was permitted to act like a super king for all these 30 years and given a blank cheque book to write whatever sums he wished despite the fact that this country was and is so straitened that it is indebted to the tune of 38 billion dollars. This massed up debt was being piled up by the grace of the good doctor, who was living so ostentatiously that whenever he travelled to visit the GHQ, he went in an entourage of decoy cars accompanied by armed guards. Super king, indeed! The answer to the question is that he was the master of the show by various echelons of the armed forces who obviously must have been participants in the "take home" pay and in no small measure. It is a wonder that there is still something left in the kitty.

The above was written 4 days ago. Today is Kashmir Day and today a new bomb has been exploded. Dr Qadeer Khan has confessed in a written statement of his activity of exposing to Iran and Libya equipment such as centrifuges for enriching uranium. He has also confessed to supplying these countries with drawings, certain gases and other equipment. He has very explicitly stated that he did all this without any participation by the Pakistan government and has assumed full personal responsibility for so doing. He being at pains to absolve the Pakistan government and the acceptance by the US immediately of the assertion by Mr Armitage giving a certificate of Musharraf being the most suitable ban to be the ruler of Pakistan seems to be the quid pro quo for the deal being struck with Qadeer Khan. There is no mention of the entire wealth gathering in the country and no question of being penalised in any way. In fact he is continued to be eulogised and it is said that not only will be forgiven all his horrendous misdeeds but in fact he will still live in the same splendour, escorted by a military escort whenever he goes anywhere.

If the good doctor amassed 10 billion dollars from Pakistan then it is not unlikely that he must have obtained a similar fee from both the oil rich countries, Libya and Iran. The minimum punishment for his misdeeds should be a fine of 10 billion dollars which if realised would go towards minimising over 38 billion-dollar loans. Unfortunately the powers that be are determined to forgive him even though his crime is so enormous that it can be likened to a saying by Charlie Chaplin that when you kill one man, it is murder and open are hanged but when you kill thousands in a war, you are decorated. Numbers sanctify!

There is no way corruption here can be eradicated. Dr Qadeer Khan is being forgiven because he was co-joined by very high and mighty in the loot. The doctor has mentioned their names. To assail him, the good doctor would take that high and mighty with him. So if no one was punished and in fact looters are praised and venerated then who will be deterred and why? The plea taken is that the good doctor provided Pakistan a deterrent. Please consider this theory of deterrence that is a mirage. Pakistan in the past attacked India three times — 1948, 1965 and 1999 Kargil. That in 1999 India possessed more nuclear bombs than Pakistan and yet did it deter Pakistan from attacking India? Each time having embarked on an adventure.

The military planners did not know how to conclude it for one thing was certain. They could not either defeat India nor over run it. Each time they had to extricate themselves by involving outside powers to intervene and obtain a ceasefire. During the Kargil adventure, it was alleged by Pakistan that irregular mujahideen had invaded. The fact was it was a full-scale invasion by the Pak Army. As heretofore it was an ill-conceived plan. No objective was defined. Pak Army was to attack the Line of Control, cross it and occupy bivouacs left vacant by the Indian Army. Pakistan cross the Line of Control, a virtual border, it is an act of war. India would have been well within its sights to counter-attack even with a nuclear bomb or two and obliterate Pakistan before Pakistan could send a bomb across. But it did not. Mr Vajpayee showed forbearance and humanitarians. He was able to prove to Nawaz Sharif the then Prime Minister that the Pakistan Army in fact was the aggressor and not mujahideen. This was done by providing Nawaz Sharif a taped conversation between Gen Musharraf and his Chief of the General Staff wherein the CGS inform his chief of the exact state of the Pakistan troops in Kargil. This tape was also sent to President Clinton who summoned Nawaz Sharif to Washington and persuaded him to withdraw Pakistan troops from Kargil that he did. So there, that much for deterrence.

One having a bomb (dubious) makes it certain that should India either feel threatened or wish to invade it will drop a few nukes on Pakistan pre-emptively to obliterate Pakistan so that the letter cannot throw its nuke on to India. This means that if the good doctor has invented a nuke, it is something that we must fear. It is an invitation to annihilations not deterrence. The good doctor must be arraigned properly, his loot within Pakistan over 30 years must be made clear and charged and there must not be any question of forgiveness.