<p>Nuclear-armed Pakistan has the ability to "target" the Indian capital Delhi in five minutes, the father of Pakistan's nuclear programme Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan has said.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Addressing a gathering here on the 18th anniversary of Pakistan's first nuclear tests, which were carried out under his supervision in 1998, Khan, said Pakistan could have become a nuclear power as early as 1984 but the then President General Zia ul Haq "opposed the move".<br /><br />The 80-year-old nuclear physicist said General Zia, who was Pakistan's President from 1978 to 1988, opposed the nuclear testing as he believed that the world would intervene militarily.<br /><br />Further, it would have also curtailed international aid Pakistan was receiving due to the ongoing Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.<br /><br />"We were able and we had a plan to launch nuclear test in 1984. But President General Zia ul Haq had opposed the move," Khan said yesterday.<br /><br />Khan also said that Pakistan has the ability to "target" Delhi from Kahuta near Rawalpindi in five minutes.<br /><br />Kahuta is the home to the Kahuta Research Laboratories (KRL), Pakistan's key uranium enrichment facility, linked to the atomic bomb project.<br /><br />Khan was disgraced in 2004 when he was forced to accept responsibility for nuclear technology proliferation and was forced to live a life of official house arrest. In 2009, the Islamabad High Court declared Khan to be a free citizen of Pakistan, allowing him free movement inside the country.<br /><br />He regretted the treatment and said Pakistan would never have achieved the feat of becoming first Muslim nuclear country without his "services".<br /><br />"Without my services Pakistan would never have been the first Muslim nuclear nation. We were able to achieve the capability under very tough circumstances, but we did it," said Khan.<br /><br />Referring to the treatment meted out to him during Gen Pervez Musharraf's era, Khan said nuclear scientists in the country have not been given the respect that they deserve.<br /><br />"We are facing the worst against our services to the country's nuclear programme," he added.</p>
<p>Nuclear-armed Pakistan has the ability to "target" the Indian capital Delhi in five minutes, the father of Pakistan's nuclear programme Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan has said.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Addressing a gathering here on the 18th anniversary of Pakistan's first nuclear tests, which were carried out under his supervision in 1998, Khan, said Pakistan could have become a nuclear power as early as 1984 but the then President General Zia ul Haq "opposed the move".<br /><br />The 80-year-old nuclear physicist said General Zia, who was Pakistan's President from 1978 to 1988, opposed the nuclear testing as he believed that the world would intervene militarily.<br /><br />Further, it would have also curtailed international aid Pakistan was receiving due to the ongoing Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.<br /><br />"We were able and we had a plan to launch nuclear test in 1984. But President General Zia ul Haq had opposed the move," Khan said yesterday.<br /><br />Khan also said that Pakistan has the ability to "target" Delhi from Kahuta near Rawalpindi in five minutes.<br /><br />Kahuta is the home to the Kahuta Research Laboratories (KRL), Pakistan's key uranium enrichment facility, linked to the atomic bomb project.<br /><br />Khan was disgraced in 2004 when he was forced to accept responsibility for nuclear technology proliferation and was forced to live a life of official house arrest. In 2009, the Islamabad High Court declared Khan to be a free citizen of Pakistan, allowing him free movement inside the country.<br /><br />He regretted the treatment and said Pakistan would never have achieved the feat of becoming first Muslim nuclear country without his "services".<br /><br />"Without my services Pakistan would never have been the first Muslim nuclear nation. We were able to achieve the capability under very tough circumstances, but we did it," said Khan.<br /><br />Referring to the treatment meted out to him during Gen Pervez Musharraf's era, Khan said nuclear scientists in the country have not been given the respect that they deserve.<br /><br />"We are facing the worst against our services to the country's nuclear programme," he added.</p>