JEDDAH — Pakistan Repatriation Council (PRC) organized a symposium entitled "Nuclear Technology – our need and obligation" on18th anniversary of Pakistan's detonation of nuclear device recently. Dr. Ali Al-Ghamdi, ex-diplomat and renowned columnist, presided over the event. In his address he thanked PRC for organizing a symposium on an important topic. He said that nuclear explosion of 1998 was an important achievement for the defense of Pakistan and a strong Pakistan is needed for the Ummah. "However I hope and pray that this remains a deterrence and balance in subcontinent and never used to avoid catastrophe in the region," he said, adding, the late President Ayub Khan first established a nuclear institute and power plant with the help of Canada in 1963. Zulfiqar Bhutto courageously initiated its strategic defense institute by bringing home renowned Nuclear Scientist Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan in 1973. Khan and his team developed nuclear device which was successfully exploded by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on May 28, 1998. Dr. Ghamdi supported the topic of symposium that nuclear technology should be used for peaceful purposes i.e. to produce electricity, and support medical and agricultural products to benefit the common man of not only Pakistan but whole Muslim world. He said if Japan had a nuclear device then USA would not have dared to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He said that though President Barack Obama is the first US president who visited Hiroshima he did not apologize for the inhuman act of atomic bombing in 1945. He said the great nuclear state should not forget its quarter million patriotic citizens languishing in Bangladesh for over four decades. "I was very happy when Nawaz Sharif became prime minister for the third time but unfortunately he has not taken any steps for promised repatriation of those Pakistanis. I pray and hope that Sharif has a successful heart surgery and returns to fulfill his commitment to rehabilitate stranded Pakistanis process which he started in 1993," he said. Aziz Ahmed, general secretary Pakistan Engineers Society (PES), said though we achieved strategic defense capabilities in1998 we, however, failed to benefit common people with peaceful use of nuclear technology. Choudhry Riaz Ghumman, leader of Pakistan Muslim League (Quid-e-Azam), thanked PRC and Dr. Ghamdi for convening a symposium on this important topic. He also urged government to take urgent measures to solve issues of Kashmir and stranded Pakistanis on priority basis. Shamsuddin Altaf, member Pakistan Peoples Community, paid rich tribute to Zulfiqar Bhutto, Abdul Qadeer Khan, Nawaz Sharif and other leaders and scientists for the achievement of nuclear capability. Maqbool-ur-Rahman Abbasi, member PJF, congratulated PRC for organizing the timely symposium. He said at this time we should not forget people of Kashmir and stranded Pakistanis. Mohammad Amanatullah praised Abdul Qadeer Khan for his devotion in creating the nuclear device for the strategic defense of Pakistan and criticized the act of humiliating Dr. Khan during tenure of Gen. Musharraf. Mohammad Ashfaque Badayouni, convener Halqa-e-Danish, said that Pakistan's nuclear detonation was to maintain the strategic balance of power in the region. He gave an example to exemplify the state of science in Pakistan. We have successfully seen the plane take off in the sky but are still learning to properly make a safe landing. He meant that achieving technology was critical but we are still struggling its maintenance and enhancement in other fields. Tayyab Mosani, general secretary Memon Welfare Society (MWS), said our capability is great but to sustain it also is very crucial and need full attention. Syed Ehsanul Haque, convener PRC, thanked Dr. Ghamdi and all speakers, journalist, poets and guests and attendees on their participation to the symposium. He appealed to Sharif to create Nuclear Research University headed by Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan to educate and explore its producing electricity enhancing agriculture, medical needs etc. to benefit not only Pakistanis but also can earn precious foreign exchange by exporting them. Haque urged Sharif to reactivate Rabita Trust and start the process of repatriation and rehabilitation of stranded Pakistanis. "To overcome the paucity of fund, we sought the implementation of PRC proposal of ‘settlement of stranded Pakistanis on self finance basis'. Pakistani High Commissioner at Dhaka should be assigned to take care of food, health, life and security of quarter million Pakistanis stranded in Bangladesh. OIC should include in its agenda the issue of settlement of stranded Pakistanis," he added. He said our government should use OIC, UNO, USA and other superpowers to influence India to arrange plebiscite in Kashmir according to the will of its people. Kashmiri leaders e.g. Syed Ali Gilani, Wayez Farooq should be included in all the negotiations on the issue. "We praise Nawai Waqt Fund for stranded Pakistanis, IDB, IIRO, OBAT Helpers, MWDO for alleviating the stranded Pakistanis miseries in camps. We urge Eidhi Trust and those welfare wings belonging to MQM, Jamaate Islami, Tehrike Insaaf, PML to start welfare activities for stranded Pakistanis in Bangladeshi camps," he added The event started with the recitation of verses from the holy Qur'an by Qari Abdul Majeed. Naat was recited by Sher Afzal. Renowned poets Syed Mohsin Alavi and Zamurrad Khan Saifi presented their poems on Youm-e-Takbeer. Bahjat Najmi supplicated for unity of Muslim Ummah.
