May 98
What
Is Your Opinion On Pakistan Going Nuclear?
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it to us on
The prime minister has done a wonderful job, and that also at the right time.
Syed M. Farooq
The feeling of Pakistan becoming a nuclear power was overwhelming. Now an enemy would think twice before plotting against our beloved nation. The dream of Quaid-e-Azam that the provinces of Pakistan unite and become a fist has finally come true.
The fear lingering in the minds of our people that perhaps India would overthrow our nation with its nuclear power has dissipated.
Obaid Waheed
I strongly believe that Pakistan has done a very commendable job. This was essentially needed to confine India to her boots. India can imagine the consequences and the price it would pay for any misadventure against Pakistan. My heartiest greetings to the entire nation and, in particular, the Government of Pakistan for taking such a bold decision against all odds.
Dr. Anwar M. Saeed
Los Angeles, USA.
Do we need to be worried about the threat from the collaboration of India and Israel of any attack on Pakistani nuclear targets? If so, I think this is the time for the Pakistani nation to prove itself to be united and forget about all the political, religious and racial conflicts.
Syed Zahid Hussain Shah MD.
Lisbon ND
The last three weeks have seen unprecedented activity in discussing the pros and cons of nuclear tests. Now that Pakistan has also become a nuclear power and thus has safeguarded its independence and sovereignty, it is time to advise the public on the effects of an unforeseen and accidental nuclear explosion and precautions to be adopted by the public to avoid its bad effects if at all possible.
No wise man has touched this aspect of the matter. It is the duty of the government and the atomic energy establishment to advise the public in this respect. According to reports there was no fall out or radiation due to these explosions although we read about some evidence of harmful affects on birds and sea fish due to the Indian explosions.
Alhaj Sheikh Muzaffar-uz-Zaman
Gujranwala.
In his statement regarding Pakistan's nuclear tests, Bill Clinton said, "...two wrongs do not make a right", but, as we all know, two negatives make a positive. India, by conducting its nuclear tests made a negative attempt. If Pakistan had restrained from conducting the tests thus staying positive, the results would have been negative, that is, Pakistan in constant fear of India's attack. By conducting the nuclear tests, a negative attempt, the result has been positive. Now India would think twice before attacking Pakistan, fearing the consequences. As far as sanctions are concerned, it is better to eat one meal a day in independence, than to eat cakes in slavery.
Saba Ather Iqbal
Karachi
It's time to thank God as he has blessed the Pakistani nation with such a prestigious capability. The nation should now revive Quide-Azam’s principle of unity, faith and discipline.
Muhammad Muneer Anjum
We have done very well and should work hard to overcome the problems of Pakistan.
Nadeem Hassan
Pakistan did what she was supposed to do. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif gave an impressive speech after conducting the nuclear explosions. Pakistan did what it felt was necessary. No one can accuse Pakistan of prompting arms race in the region. It was India who left Pakistan with no option but to respond in a similar manner. If the world imposes sanctions on Pakistan, we would follow the best policy to overcome those. After all, united we stand, divided we fall. My message is on behalf of the Pakistani students who are far from the land, but still care about her.
Qamar A. Abbasi.
I am very happy that we have the power to fight with .......but what about education, health, clean water, roads, electricity, protection etc.? Is this called Jihad? No more!
Mr. J.S Arora
This is great success for Pakistan that today this 50 year old country is standing shoulder to shoulder with the countries having nuclear capabilities. We all should be proud of our scientists, government and, above all, the only power, God.
Aysha Haider
I think it was an emotional decision. The prime minister found it an easy way out. Undoubtedly, the prime minister’s decision has gained him countrywide praise but mind you, 70% of our population is illiterate. Did he think about the economic condition of the country before making his historic decision or just found it a way of gaining popularity. Our economy is very fragile as compared to that of India. We are dependent on the foreign aid and the situation is going to get worse under tough sanctions. Thanks to mismanagement and corruption, we are sure to land into very serious problems. I may be sounding pessimistic but I can see no hope in our corrupt and inefficient politicians to save the country from bankruptcy. Even in these tough conditions if people continue with their loot then we are heading towards a revolution and it is going to be bloody.
Mueen
Yes! What Pakistan did was correct, or else our nuclear facilities would have been blown apart. Now the enemy will think 10 times before making any move. Congratulation to Nawaz Sharif for keeping our heads up.
Khalid
New york
To the leaders of India and Pakistan:
Shame on the leaders of both India and Pakistan for wasting millions and millions of dollars on weapons while most of the people in the Indian subcontinent have no food, no proper health care, no drinking water, no shelter, no roads, no justice. The list goes on. I simply don't have the words to express my dismay at the current situation in the Indian subcontinent.
When will we solve our petty differences and work for the betterment of the masses? We must learn to live in harmony and peace instead of exploding weapons in each other’s backyards. What we, India and Pakistan, need is a permanent solution to our problems and nuclear explosions and weapons are not the answers.
I hope that you, the leaders, get the big picture and are able to look 50 years ahead into the future. What we don't need is delusions and hallucinations of good times ahead from the doses of nuclear explosions.
Irfan A. Chaudhry
Dr. Samer Mubarak's comments that Dr. Abdul Qadeer had played no part in carrying out the nuclear tests, were quite outrageous. He should not have done that. If he had some disagreements with Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, he should have talked it out. I condemn such statements against Dr. Khan and advise such individuals not to say such things about him for he is the person who has put all his abilities and efforts into building up Pakistan as a nuclear state.
I believe the time has come for everyone to put his or her conflicts aside and do whatever is possible to make Pakistan stand on its own resources, because from now on, no one is going to help Pakistan and those who are dreaming of destroying it are not going to leave it in peace.
Mohammad Asif/Mohammad Farooq
I read with interest the statement given by Dr. Ishfaq Ahmed regarding the role of PAEC in the recent nuclear tests. No doubt, the nuclear program was so well protected a secret that it would be impossible to know the exact truth behind the nuclear program. It seems entirely believable what Dr. Ishfaq Ahmed has said, that PAEC being a gigantic organisation has a major hand in the development of nuclear program of Pakistan. Hats off to all the employees, Chairman to the lowest level staff, who have earned Pakistan the laurels.
Dr. Aamer Aziz
Department of Radiology,
Nagasaki University Hospital
Japan.
Very Good! I am proud of my country Pakistan and Nawaz Sharif. He has done a great job.
Mr&Mrs Mohammed Junior
This issue is totally waste of time, but I give it two thumbs up. I am from Arlington, US and this nuclear news had spread across the continent like fire. Every other, white or black, on roads is talking about this Pakistani issue. They don't give a damn about India any more because India had stopped testing bombs when the US president said that he was going to cut India’s financial budget. The US president had also tried to stop Pakistan but we did not listen, and embarrassed President Clinton. He is upset now. This is the first time in history that some country, which is our country, denied and let the US down.
Shehzad Qureshi.
Pakistani nation and government ought to be
congratulated on their timely and appropriate response to
an extremely serious threat to our security. Failure to do so
would have been a disaster in that it would
have forever sealed our fate as a defeated and therefore a second
class nation or perhaps much worse.
The prime minister is to be congratulated for not bowing to
external pressure.
Aqeel Ahmed
Pakistan was a third world country before these nuclear blasts and now everyone is praising our country especially Muslim nations. Few countries, including Israel, US, etc., are cursing us because they could not think of Pakistan, a third rate country, being nuclear. As far as sanctions are concerned, Pakistan should make nuclear bombs and sell them to Iran and Afghanistan to generate revenues.
Ali Saeed Asghar
It is good that Pakistan replied to India and showed to it that Pakistan is capable of doing the same as what India had done. But why are we not doing something in education like what India is doing? For example, when India opens an engineering or medical college, why we don’t we do the same? When it comes to this, why do we start talking about money or budget etc? If you want to make a good Pakistan we should give top priority to educating our nation
Zarrar Ahmed
We are greatly concerned with the long-term effects of Pakistan’s nuclear tests. My children question Pakistan's decision to test its nuclear power. They are young and the future is of great importance to them. How do I justify Pakistan's action when I tell them that Pakistan is the greatest place to be?
How come Pakistan did not care about the environment and the air that its people breathe and the water they drink? When the literacy level in Pakistan is already so low, how then can we spend so much on defence? As for sanctions, they could be a blessing in disguise. Maybe we learn to do the best in what we have! Do the Pakistanis living abroad have the right to say anything? Yes we are a part and will always remain Pakistanis. I think we need to develop our diplomatic skills along with our nuclear capabilities. We could have used this situation to our advantage, and made India take the wrath, if only we had diplomats that are more convincing!
A Concerned Pakistani
We, the undersigned, originally from India and Pakistan, are very concerned about the nuclear devices being tested by India and Pakistan, and the escalating arms race between the two countries. It is tragic that resources that are already meagre, which should be used for the betterment of citizens, are being wasted on weapons of mass destruction. We, therefore, appeal to you and, through you, to the government officials and the people of both countries, to stop testing any further, and reduce tensions and hostilities between the two neighbours.
Pritam K. Rohila
President
Association for Communal Harmony
While deploring Pakistan's explosion, President Clinton felt that Pakistan had lost a priceless opportunity of creating goodwill in the international community and improving her economy and defence potentials. He believed that two wrongs do not make a right and therefore felt obliged to impose sanctions, as required by US laws.
Japan, the largest trading partner and aid provider to Pakistan, felt the same way. Presidents Clinton defined the right to self-defence as wrong. This is strange. Shooting is wrong but would someone punish a person for shooting a potential killer in self defence? President Clinton seems to suggest that. Bombing is wrong, so after Japan bombed the Pearl harbour, the retaliatory bombing of Japan by the US, is equally wrong if President Clinton’s logic is applied.
Azam Mohammed
Karachi
What I think about the Pakistan and India
crisis is that both these countries are not acting wise. If India
has done something, Pakistan does not have to be equal with it.
Think about the people in Pakistan.
What will happen if we keep testing weapons? These two countries
would never become peaceful.
Raza
Brooklyn
The May 30 earthquake in Afganistan, which
killed nearly 5000 people, was most likely triggered by
Pakistan's nuclear tests, Jack Neggie, scientist emeritus at the
National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) in Washington told
Reuters. The US geological survey described the epicentre at
37.21 degree
north and 69.93 degree east. The same Rastak area of north-east
Afganistan had already become tectonically unstable by an
earthquake of 6.1 magnitude on February 4, 1998, killing more
than 5000 people, Neggie said.
"This earthquake, after the Pakistan explosion, has clearly demonstrated that underground nuclear explosions in a sensitive area can trigger the highest magnitude natural earthquake in the system'', Neggie said. Neggie said the fact that nuclear explosions could trigger natural earthquakes in the Chaman fault system in the Hindukush Pamir block was already known to Chinese, American and Russian scientists. He said the Pakistani tests should not have been carried out in the Chagai hills area. Quoting published information by North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) in 1995, Neggie said 80 per cent of the 272 nuclear explosions carried out by the Russians between 1963 and 1986 in the "semi-Palatinsk" area (50 degree north and 72 degree east), were followed by earthquakes of magnitude greater than 3.4, reports Reuters.
A Concerned Person
First of all I would like to hail the fantastic performance of Jang-group which they have shown to inform their readers on the internet about the latest developments on the nuclear issue. Now this questionnaire about what to do will gather the suggestions and wisdom of thousands of highly qualified class of the country which could be taken advantage of. The answers are as follows:
1. Cut down unnecessary expenditure both, on state and individual level.
2. Contribute as much as possible to the state fund to overcome the problem.
3. Try to collect maximum taxes and defaults on state level.
4. Try to convince Muslim countries to buy more Pakistani products than the Indian ones.
5. To impose 100% ban on the imports of unnecessary food, cosmetics, electronics, etc.
6. To attract overseas Pakistanis to send to and invest their money in Pakistan strictly through legal means.
I myself am going to donate a money equivalent of $200 to state fund and will try to make my living as simple as possible and save money for my country. The government should not carry this emergency on for an indefinite period and lift it as soon as possible and should do the needful to restore the confidence of the trade community. Please don't touch the poor and middle class because they are already at the brink of collapse. They are already doing a lot for the nation by virtue of their deprivations and helplessness. The state must also very seriously investigate the suspected rich and should takeover everything if they are found guilty.
A.A Ali
In my perspective, it is eminently significant to retrieve the nation's money from all those defaulters, regardless of their affiliations with different political, religious and social groups, who have been involved in earning by illegal means giving a strong setback to the country's economy. Furthermore, it is inevitable for the elite class and rulers to delineate a true glimpse of simplicity in their routine lives. As far as the matter of freezing foreign currency accounts is concerned, I personally think, as a layman, that it would not be a long-term solution. The government has already taken some positive initial steps by minimising futile and show-off expenditures. It would be imperative for the government to utilise media in the most effective way to pursue overseas patriotic Pakistanis for sending amounts into the nuclear fund. I am of the view that it's time for all of us to stand up and contribute, whatever we can no matter where we are at present from financial point of view, for an economically and strategically ameliorated future of our beloved motherland. As Iqbal - the great Muslim scholar of this century - had said some decades ago:
"Afraad ke haathonh meinh hey aqwaam ki taqdeer Her furd hey Millat ke muqad-der ka sitara!!!!!!!!!
The nations' fate is in their persons hands! Every person is star of the nation's destiny
Salik Hameed Khwaja
By not going nuclear Pakistan would have gained extremely on several fronts:
Firstly US, Japan and other industrialised
countries would have continued to shower Pakistan with loans,
liberal aids and grants. Many would have even converted
outstanding loans into grants. Pakistan would have immensely
benefited monetarily.
Secondly, on the military front, Pakistan would have stood to gain a lot of assistance from these countries as it would be seen as a vulnerable nation under threat from its big neighbour.
Thirdly by not blasting the nuclear bomb, Pakistan would have earned the sympathy of the entire world Pakistan could have isolated India and projected that country as the aggressor, big bully or threat. India would definitely stand exposed and isolated.
But now Pakistan has done a favour to India by conducting the nuclear tests. It has not only levelled India 5-5 but has levelled itself with international pariahs. Be it Kashmir, Islam or any other issue, international sympathy would have been with Pakistan if only it had not done so. Now Pakistan faces the wrath of the world countries more for a specific reason. Compared to India, which suddenly exploded the bomb amidst international slumber, Pakistan did it after appeals, advises and persuasions from UK, Japan, Germany and other countries came vocally. Now Pakistan has defied all leaders.
Lastly, any rich country can make all its people rich and give them good standard of living in terms of infrastructure, job opportunities, lifestyles, etc. Pakistan has frittered away a golden opportunity to become a rich and favoured nation. All it has done is to satisfy its ego. Harder days are ahead for the average Pakistani.
N.Nagesh
India was the first to test. Therefore,
Pakistan seems justified in carrying out its own tests. India
laid a trap for Pakistan. Pakistan always reacts to Indian
provocation and one gets the impression that a solid foreign
policy is lacking and the culmination of the test proves that
Pakistan has a reactionary foreign policy rather than one that is
thought out with a cool head. The sanctions are definitely going
to hurt Pakistan more than India. India has a largely self-
sufficient economy and presents a large market, which no country
can ignore. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had his compulsions to
conduct the test, but lost an excellent opportunity to prove
Pakistan's maturity.
It is no secret that the Indians have a military superiority over Pakistan. If Pakistan had not tested, then it would have been the winner. Looking at the reaction of the stock prices in Pakistan, the economy seems to be crumbling. Friendly countries may help to bail Pakistan out of this financial crisis, but the facts are that Pakistan's economy is too fragile. On the other side, Pakistan may feel more secure in light of the tests conducted by them and the attempt to bring Kashmir onto the international arena. India shall make all attempts to neutralise this discussion of Kashmir and may well succeed.
Yadavalli Sitaram
I feel the same way about your bombs as I feel about the Indian bombs- or our bombs in the U.S, for that manner. I hope the day will soon come when good people throughout the world will find Aman.
I am afraid I can not offer congratulations to your scientists, engineers, and policy makers on your recent nuclear weapons testing. Here in the USA, we have a tremendous number of guns as well as nuclear weapons. Not coincidently, more than 10,000 U.S. citizens die each year because of guns. Many lives are shattered by unalterable actions taken during moments of anger, jealousy or fear. Our friends in India, Canada, Australia, and Japan are all dismayed and saddened by our apparent preoccupation with guns.
One way I judge whether my actions are right is by how they are viewed by my friends and other people I respect. I wonder how Mahatma Gandhi (one of history's truly great men) would feel about India's entrance into the nuclear club? I think he would probably be dismayed and saddened. He would probably wish that you joined Japan and Australia in the club of nations who have forsworn nuclear weapons.
We are at the dawn of a new millennium. Let us all join together in actions to ensure that this new millennium brings no further use of nuclear weapons.
Mark A. Bahner
Research Triangle Institute
E-mail: bahner@rti.org
It is disgraceful that Pakistan allowed itself to be tricked into joining the nuclear club by India. Most of us living in Asia view Pakistan much like we view India: poor countries with populations in great need. How can your government neglect the basic needs of its citizens and waste precious resources on building expensive bombs? What is reality to your officials who have huge masses of your population living abroad (even in our poor country, the Philippines) because of such great hardships at home?
You have been misled and you are inflicting great danger upon all your other neighbours. Shame on Pakistan. Shame on India. We in Manila wish you not only sanctions but also blockade. How I wish we could get you out of Asia!
Serge GrynkewichManila