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Dr. Abdul Salam Abdul Razak Al Sweidan wals.org.uk | Consultant Search: Majeed, A W (Prof) claremont-hospital.com | Department of Oncology - Abdul Khaliq Library oncology.med.ualberta.ca | Nasser Aziz Chaudhry, M.D. - Associated Cardiovascular Consultants, PA accnj.com |
Prof. Dr.Chaudhry Abdul Majeed (Urdu: چودہری عبد لمجيد ) was a Pakistani atomic physicist and an atomic expert. He was known to be the one of the pioneer of Pakistan's nuclear program and had worked closely with former PAEC Chairman Mr. Munir Ahmad Khan's plutonium reprocessing project. He rose to prominence when he was apprehended by Pakistan's intelligence agencies in a joint operation in late October 2001. Majeed was also a one of the founding member of Sultan Bashiruddin Mahmood's Ummah Tameer-e-Nau charity; an NGO which caused a international embarrassment for Pakistan.
[edit] Education And PAEC CareerMajeed was educated in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan and he studied applied physics and atomic physics at University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore. However, in the 1960s, Majeed went to Belgium with a scholarship award and attended Katholieke Universiteit Leuven where he received his Ph.D in Atomic Physics and was trained as an atomic physicist at a plutonium facility in Belgium in the late 1960s.[1] He was also at the International Center for Theoretical Physics in Trieste, Italy during the 1970s or early 1980s. At ICTP, Majeed taught atomic physics. He also published numerous research papers in the field of particle nuclear detectos and spectroscopy. Majeed came back to Pakistan after India's nuclear test in 1974. He joined Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) under the leadership of Mr. Munir Ahmad Khan (late). He expertised on plutonium technology. Majeed is known for his contribution in plutonium reprocessing Plant and techonlogy. In early 1990, Majeed transferred to Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology, where he put in charge of Nuclear Chemistry Division (NCD). Dr. Majeed was responsible for underground work of Khushab and Chasma Reactors. He was not involved in Pakistan's nuclear weapon development program instead he was given charge of Isotope separation and Depleted uranium program. He published extensively in the 1980s and 1990s on nuclear detectors and the use of x-ray diffraction, fluorescence, and crystallography to study a wide variety of materials and elements, including stainless steel, uranium, and thorium. He also gained a significant influenced among his peers. Due to his work for the State, he was conferred with Tamgha-e-Imtiaz which was awarded to him by Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif in 1998[2]. [edit] 2001 debriefing and ArrestHe was the one of the founding member of a Pakistani militant NGO Organisation Ummah Tameer-e-Nau. He was accused of travelling through Afghanistan without notifying the Pakistani authorities and Government of Pakistan. He was arrested in October 2001 in Islamabad by joint-operation of Inter-Services Intelligence and Federal Investigation Agency, along with fellow atomic scientist, Sultan Bashiruddin Mahmood, because of their connections to Talibans. The Foreign Office spokesman of Pakistan had confirmed the raid and said: "They have not been arrested and they are not under detention," the spokesperson said,"adding that they were questioned over their involvement with an Afghan relief agency founded by Mahmood. It is just an investigation to look into the credentials of various non-governmental organizations who may have been working inside Afghanistan," the spokesman added.[3] In hoping of quick release from the intelligence agencies and went back to research at PAEC, he confessed quickly. According to the FIA and ISI's joint-Intelligence report, which was given to the Parliament of Pakistan, stated that dr. Majeed confessed quickly in which he said that Osama Bin Laden did asked them to built either a radiological bomb or a biological bomb. Majeed also confirmed that Osama Bin Laden said that he [Osama Bin Laden] could be able to smuggled the natural uranium from Uzbekistan. Majeed, however, clearly refused to Laden and said: it's not easy and they cannot built a nuclear bomb for him alone. He also said to Laden that: "I'm not the nuclear weapon designer and it's not easy the way it looks. The Pakistani authorities, especially the Government of Pakistan, are too sensitive and I may get arrested for nuclear trafficking which may result in ending my life".[3] American intelligence official said that the first interrogation of the two Pakistani scientists has resulted in an assessment that Mr. Mahmood and Mr. Majeed did not know enough to help build a nuclear weapon. "These two guys were nuclear scientists who didn't know how to build one themselves," the American official said. "If you had to have guys go bad, these are the guys you'd want they didn't know much." His family filed a petition to Supreme Court of Pakistan in 2001 but the Supreme Court announced a decision in favor of Government of Pakistan. A team of nuclear scientists, along with Pakistani Parliamentarians, under the leadership of Parliamentarian Farhatullah Babar, met with the Military and Civilian officials of Pakistani Government and requested to put dr. Majeed into house arrest. Instead of that, Mahmood was released in late December 2001 and was put in house arrest. However, Majeed was not released and was interrogated harshly. According to his family, he was not allowed to meet any of his family member, including his children and wife. He was forcefully asked to surrender his high civilian award Tamgha-e-Imtiaz which was conferred to him in 1998 by then-Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif. During a harsh interrogation of 5 years, he suffered a severe heart attack. That time, dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan Scandal's pressure was already getting intensified to the Government. To avoid an intense public pressure from the Pakistani civil society, he was taken immediately but secretly to the military hospital through a helicopter where the military doctors tried to save his life for hours. Later in the midnight, he was announced to be passed away. [edit] Aftermath and LegacyAfter this incident, Pakistani authorities were given order not to interrogated suspected scientists too harshly, especially dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan. Pakistani Authorities also place accused scientists, specially those who were associated with Khan Labs, into house arrest with partial freedom. By the end of 2008, the charges on the Pakistani nuclear scientists were dropped by the Presidential pardon. Ch. Abdul Majeed was a known atomic physicist and he was a close associate friend of former PAEC Chairman Munir Ahmad Khan (late). According to the Pakistan Nuclear Society Press release, it said that he was mistakenly arrested and he was not involved in development of nuclear weapons. After his death, he was awarded back his high civilian award "Tamgha-e-Imtiaz". He was also awarded a high-civilian award "Hilal-e-Imtiaz" with a State honour from Government of Pakistan. Government of Pakistan also issued an apology letter to his family, saying that "the State will never forget his work". He was seen with respect in Pakistan. He also worked in the PAEC as an engineer. The NGO scandal heavily disturbed his imaged and his private life also. Even though, he heavily cooperated with intelligence agencies in hoping of freedom and went back to PAEC; he was declined to give any partial freedom. He was harshly interrogated for a long time which also resulted in his death. According to the dr. Bashir Syed, former President of the Association of Pakistani Scientists and Engineers of North America (APSENA), said: "I know both of these persons and can tell you there is not an iota of truth that both these respected scientists and friends will do anything to harm the interest of their own country." Parliamentarian Farhatullah Babar, a family friend of dr. Majeed and currently spokesperson of the Prime Minister of Pakistan, met the families of nuclear scientists recently, said: “Dr. Majeed and Eng. Mahmood has been wronged by the government and a signal has been sent to the Pakistani scientist that they would have to defend themselves in any eventuality which becomes too hot to handle for the government.” [edit] References[edit] External links
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