A.Q khan being patriotic person, he was influenced by 1971 for loss of East Pakistan. After India launched nuclear weapon in 1974, he wrote to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to develop own weapon based on Uranium. On December 15, 1975, he left the Netherlands for Pakistan, accompanied by his wife and two daughters. He carried drawings of gas centrifuges (used for uranium separation), his blueprint copies and parts suppliers list.
First he started work with Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) but due to several disagreement and complexion, A.Q. Khan founded the Engineering Research Laboratories (ERL) near Kahuta on 31 July 1976. Pakistan acquired blueprints of nuclear weapon from China in 1980 and nuclear parts from European countries suppliers.
At ERL, G.D. Alam solved the major centrifugal problems for uranium separation. A.Q Khan joined the team of theoretical physicists headed by theorist Dr. GD Allam. Their joint cooperation leaded them to successfully separation of 235U and 238U isotopes. Pakistan carried out first successfully cold test of nuclear weapon in 1983. But the real test was required to claim. Before 28th May explosion, there was also a problem that PM Nawaz Sharif did not allow scientists and engineers name include in nuclear test preparation but later after A.Q khan protest to Joint chief, he included their name and made sure presence of A.Q Khan and other engineers.
Finally, on 28 May 1998, Pakistan successfully detonated first nuclear device under codename Chagai-I. I bet, many of us would not know about Chagai-II, which was detonated two days later on 30 May 1998 under the leadership of Samar Mubarakmand (PAEC) but this weapon was based on Plutonium.
In 2004, A.Q Khan was arrested for supplying nuclear technology to Iran, North Korea and Libya. He accepted and then General Musharraf pardoned him. Therefore till 2009, he was under house arrest.
I personally believe this was his passion and patriotism to Pakistan that he leaved Natherland from his lavish life and came back, insisted Zulfikar Ali Bhutoo and made us proud by tested Pakistan nuclear weapon.
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