A Q Khan [blasts] against HEC’s outgoing Atta-ur-Rehman

After a shocking federal minister Ishaq Khan Khakwani, Dr. A. Q. Khan speaks against HEC’s outgoing chairman Dr. Atta-ur-Rehman. Though ‘The News’ termed AQ Khan’s deliberations as a ‘blast’, reading through the allegations, it seems quite a technical and academic contradiction of view. Full Story
At one point, AQ Khan seemed biased when he mentioned about Atta-ur-Rehman and Musharraf both having background of ‘Delhi’, and Musharraf being supportive to Atta-ur-Rehman due to this reason alone. Other allegations are genuine and debatable. Despite respecting the right to object (based on personal judgment), we should not forget the positive aspects. It is a fact that a huge majority of academia, young researchers and international bodies praise the efforts put in by Atta-ur-Rehman to uplift the standard of universities and research activities in the country. Few scientists have always targeted Atta-ur-Rehman for not establishing an internationally reputed university in Pakistan, hence setting up an example. This allegation has real weight. But not doing so, does not ‘flush’ all the ‘good stuff’ that he has done. There should be an end to ‘all or none’ policy that we are used to. It suits politicians, who rely on creating fame by defaming others, but not scientists and academia, who have fame of their own and more importantly, who have moral obligations being educated and reasonable. The fate of many projects started by HEC and still underway, heavily depends on the way the matter is dealt with. As a member of the community of HEC scholars outside Pakistan, I post the request to the concerned authorities and intellectuals to have a look into the matter neutrally. Get the opinion of all sides and get what is best for the most. Most importantly, please do not deny the contracts made with ‘Government of Pakistan’ (thats exactly what we have started to face here).

Kashif Zia
HEC Scholar, Austria

I posted these notes to Rauf Klasra through email. There is one more comment posted to him from MUHAMMAD AKRAM from THE NETHERLANDS.

Dear Sir,
I read your column with Title”Nuclear scientist blasts HEC’s outgoing chairman”.It was shocking news for me when I looked at the title because it seems from the title a nuclear scientist from a defense organization has made a suicide Attack on the outgoing chairman of HEC.So Please try to avoid such kind of title which create sensation in common people.Please stop this yellow Journalism practice.why do you and your newspaper try to put all news like war against terrorism.The title of this article could be as simple as “Nuclear scientist speaks against HEC’s Outgoing chairman”.But you try to involve a bomb blast in each news.
I know Journalists that they try to get meanings of their own choice from every interview or letter.Therefore It would be nice if you Print whole letter of Dr.Qadeer in your article( As Arshaad Haqaani mostly Do).So that we can access in what sense and in what Reference to Context Dr.Qadeer commented against Dr.Atta,Because most of people from your newspaper(like Hamid Mir etc)manipulate themselves from interviews of People and try express their own feelings rather than the actual story.I often saw Hamid Mir trying to put his own words in mouth of his guests in Capital talk. you should try to give fair and balanced statements in Columns like your seniors e.g.Arshaad Ahmad Haqaani.
Now come to the statements you have connected with .Dr.Qadeer.First objection that Dr.Atta got benefits because he is from Delhi is Ridiculous. I would like to ask a question that were there only two persons migrated from Indiato Pakistanfrom Delhi one is Pervaiz Musharaf and other is Dr. Atta-ur-Rehman? . There are thousands of Pakistanis originated from Delhi,why did these people not get any benefit from Mr.Musharaf. The work done by Dr.Atta -ur-Rehman for development of higher education in Pakistan is recognized in international news paper and scientific journals.You can find articles in “The Nature” a very well known international scientific Journal recognizing Dr.Atta’s Efforts for Higher Education in Pakistan.Dr. Atta provide a chance to young talented people of Pakistan from deprived middle and lower middle class for higher education.that was only confined to Elite class of this country before Establishment of HEC .Before
Dr.Atta-ur-Rehman every year thousands of scholarships were offered from Europe and U.S for developing countries including Pakistan,but nobody in UGC and MOST bother about them and even they did not advertise all these scholarships in New papers.UGC was use to distribute these scholarships in children of Elite class and remaining scholarships were discarded.So the result was that before year2000 Presences of Pakistani researchers and scholars was almost zero,where as India had Thousands of researchers and scientists all around the world.Even Professors in foreign university say that Pakistani students and researchers were almost zero but its quite reasonable as compared to India now.As concerned about wastage of Public Funds.The actual situation is that Developed countries were providing educational funds to Pakistani government for many years for raising educational standards.These funds were misused by Politicians of
Pakistan.So these countries imposed a condition that they will give educational funds and against these funds GOP will send Students and researchers in their countries.So most of HEC scholarships are originated from these educational funds.As concerned about establishment of Universities is concerned,
these universities had to be established in collaboration of France,Austria ,Germany,Sweden. These countries were preparing workforce for these universities by giving PhD research opportunities to Pakistani students in their countries.In the mean time Establishment of Pak-France university project in Karachi.Austrian and a German university in Lahore.Swedish University in Sialkot were started .All of these project were underway but then stopped due to security concerns in Pakistan.
I just quote one example here,The Rector of Royal institute of KTH from sweden was in Marriott Islamabad Last year and he had to inaugurate a project for swedish university in Sialkot next morning when there was a blast by suicide bomber on main entrance of Marriot.Next Morning he Packed his luggage and went back to sweden.HEC had been trying to contact KTH again and again.but They never replied back.
I have tried to put some facts in front of you and i hope you will also share these comments with your readers and This time Please Do’nt use Title”A Pakistani Student Blasts against A nuclear Scientist”.Please try to have bothsides point of view before putting it into your newspaper.

With best Regards,

MUHAMMAD AKRAM
THE NETHERLANDS