Nuclear power: PTI pays tributes to scientists, engineers and unsung heroes

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Central Information Secretary (CIS) Sheikh Waqas Akram paid growing tribute to the scientists, engineers and unsung heroes who burned midnight oil to make Pakistan’s defence impregnable and invincible despite immense hurdles and international pressures.

Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, PTI CIS said that on this day Pakistan emerged as the first nuclear power in the Islamic world and the seventh globally and this momentous achievement sent a powerful message to the world that Pakistan is a resolute and indomitable nation. He emphasised that this achievement was not the legacy of any single political party but a national day of pride and honour for every Pakistani.

He paid special tribute to Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan, Dr Samar Mubarakmand, and countless others who dedicated their lives to securing Pakistan’s sovereignty and turned the dream into a reality.

“It is deeply regrettable that Dr AQ Khan, the father of Pakistan’s nuclear programme, was forced to apologise on national television,” Waqas added. “The founder of PTI Imran Khan was the only political leader who condemned this humiliation and stood by Dr Khan, because he is, was and will forever remain our national hero, a symbol of Pakistan’s pride and resilience,” PTI CIS maintained.

Shifting focus to the current political and judicial crisis, Waqas strongly criticised the 26th Constitutional Amendment, calling it the burial ground of the Constitution. PTI CIS declared that justice has become a rare commodity in Pakistan, as the judicial process is plagued by delays, inefficiency, and a blatant disregard for constitutional principles.

He lamented that the current system was stealing justice rather than merely delaying it. “The most alarming example is that we are forced to protest just to get the PTI founder’s case heard,” Waqas added. PTI CIS went on to say that members of provincial and national assemblies from Sindh, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been compelled to take to the streets—simply to demand a hearing for a political leader’s case.

He lamented that despite repeated assurances from the acting Chief Justice of IHC, no progress has been made so far, as Punjab police disregarded the court’s orders with complete impunity.

PTI CIS warned that Pakistan’s judiciary has become a global topic of discussion for all the wrong reasons, adding that the judiciary today appears powerless or unwilling to uphold justice. “We are not asking for special favours—we are demanding the release of our leader, who is being held unjustly,” he asserted.

Reminding the nation of PTI’s unwavering stance against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Waqas quoted the PTI founder as saying: “Modi is a shameless man; he will betray again.” He reiterated PTI’s commitment to Pakistan, saying, “We are ready to sacrifice our wealth, our lives, and even our children for this nation—but unity is the need of the hour.” However, he made it clear, “Unity not just in war, but even in peace, we deserve justice, dignity and our constitutional rights.”

Addressing the Al-Qadir Trust case, Waqas called it a mockery of justice, saying that not a single rupee was received by the PTI founder or Bushra Bibi. “The entire world knows that Imran Khan has never been involved in corruption, yet he is being denied basic human, constitutional and legal rights—no meetings with his children, no contact with his sisters, not even access to books,” he added.

He asserted that the form-47 government was suffering from Imran Khan’s phobia, as Punjab Police was preventing political leaders from meeting the founder, violating fundamental constitutional rights, besides surveillance cameras monitor every movement. “This is authoritarianism, not justice,” Waqas declared.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025