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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s renowned nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan passed away on Sunday morning at the age of 85.

Admired and respected across the nation, Dr Khan was given a State funeral at Faisal Mosque and was buried at H-8 graveyard, Islamabad.

A large number of people, including cabinet members, parliamentarians, and military officers, attended the funeral prayers despite rain, which began to pour shortly after 3pm.

According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Interior, the national flag of Pakistan shall fly at half-mast on Sunday.

Dr Khan, father of Pakistan’s nuclear programme, was known as a national hero for transforming Pakistan into world’s first Muslim-majority nuclear power nation.

Dr Khan was the first Pakistani who was awarded three presidential awards. He has been awarded the Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Order of Excellence) twice, and the Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Crescent of Excellence) once.

Dr A Q Khan’s health started deteriorating Saturday night, after which he was brought to the KRL hospital Sunday morning in an ambulance, at 6am. The nuclear scientist experienced discomfort in breathing after which he was brought to the hospital.

However, his health took a turn for the worse when his lungs started bleeding. He died at 7:04am. Doctors said he passed away after his lungs collapsed.

Dr AQ Khan was born in 1936 in Bhopal, India, and migrated to Pakistan with his family in 1947 after the partition of the subcontinent.

He did a science degree at Karachi University in 1960, then went on to study metallurgical engineering in Berlin before completing advanced studies in the Netherlands and Belgium.

He acquired his engineering degree from a university in the Netherlands in 1967 and later went on to secure a doctorate in metallurgical engineering from Belgium. Khan, who held a doctorate in metallurgical engineering from the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium, offered to launch Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program in 1974 after neighbour India conducted its first nuclear explosion.

He reached out to then-Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto offering technology for Pakistan’s own nuclear weapons programme.

Dr AQ Khan was instrumental in setting up Pakistan’s first nuclear enrichment plant at Kahuta near Islamabad. Pakistan had conducted its first nuclear tests on May 28, 1998 during the second Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government.

Khan is widely regarded as the “Father of Islamic Nuclear Bomb” or founder of gas-centrifuge enrichment technology for Pakistan’s nuclear deterrent programme as he developed the Muslim world’s first atomic bomb. Coming shortly after similar tests by India, Dr Khan’s work helped seal Pakistan’s place as the world’s seventh nuclear power and sparked national jubilation.

President Arif Alvi, Prime Minister Imran Khan, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Defense Minister Pervez Khattak, and other Cabinet members, as well as top politicians, expressed grief over his demise, describing it as a “big loss” for the country.

Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Nadeem Raza and all Services Chiefs have also expressed deep sorrow over the death of the renowned Pakistani nuclear scientist.

In a condolence tweet on Sunday, the president said Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan helped us develop nation-saving nuclear deterrence, and a grateful nation will never forget his services in this regard.

Prime Minister Imran Khan has expressed heartfelt condolences over the demise of Dr Khan. In a tweet on Sunday, the prime minister said he is deeply saddened by the passing of Dr Khan.

The prime minister said Dr Khan was loved by our nation because of his critical contribution in making us a nuclear weapon state. This has provided us security against an aggressive much larger nuclear neighbour, he said. The prime minister said for the people of Pakistan he was a national icon.

The defence minister said in his tweet that the nation is heavily indebted to him for his contributions in enhancing our defence capabilities.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhary Fawad Hussain has expressed grief and sorrow over the sad demise of Dr Khan.

Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Nadeem Raza and all Services Chiefs have also expressed deep sorrow over the death of Dr Khan.

In a condolence message issued by Inter-Services Public Relations, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa said Dr Abdul Qadeer has rendered invaluable services to strengthen Pakistan’s defence.

Political leaders including PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and President Awami National Party leader Asfandyar Wali Khan expressed grief over the sad demise of Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan.

In their separate messages, they paid rich tribute to the departed soul and acknowledged the contributions of the great atomic scientist in making Pakistan’s defence impregnable.