What Does Dr. Qadeer Mean to the People of Pakistan?

By Mahvish Akhtar, MMNS Pakistan Correspondent

Every government that comes to Pakistan makes some changes in order to please the public or maybe just to make a mark and be known and make a place in the pages of history for themselves.

Dr. Qadeer has been a household name since he came on to the scene. We all know the story. He has been a threat for all the government that have come by and he has mainly has been that because our allies thought of him as such. Many of us have been confused about who he really is and what his importance has been. However, this confusion is only for the ones who don’t live in Pakistan. The people of Pakistan are very sure about who he is and what his value is for Pakistan as a whole.

People were very distraught when he was captured and treated like a criminal. Now that he is free again he is a legend and people have mixed feelings about him. Well these mixed feelings are not about his release but they are about what it really means.

Saima, a housewife and a mother of a new born says, “I feel immense happiness …but still I m not sure that government of Pakistan really released him. If it is a reality that he is completely free now then it is a big step towards right direction…but I don’t think he is actually released. Now may be Pakistan’s actual hero will get his genuine position in his country if he does this would be a great accomplishment He saved Pakistan by making us a nuclear power and gave hope to other Muslims countries for achieving something great.

He is a true patriotic person he really shows how much he loves his country, and he has paid a lot for it. I think if he gets full freedom he has the ability to make Pakistan a super power. But this is my dream and I know it won’t happen because our government and the US will never free him enough to do this kind of work
Dr. Shahid Mustafa has pretty much the same feelings about the issue. He says he was very happy that Dr. Qadeer was released because he is a national hero and his real place is as an important member of the society. “He says that it was a step in the right direction”, he also added that, “justice is the ultimate accomplishment at any time”.

Dr. Mustafa says that Dr. Qadeer provided security to Pakistan and it also provided a psychological uplifting to the Muslims of the world which is much needed. When asked if he feels that the doctor can play some positive role in the society now he commented, “He certainly can play a role in the field of science and education by establishing institutions due to his leadership and ‘getting the job done’ skills.

Syed Qutub says he was very relieved to hear of Dr. Qadeer’s release. He says this will provide some relief to the masses of Pakistan and will give them some hope about the direction we are going in as a nation. He feels that Dr. Qadeer is important because he has given Pakistan a good image and has made Pakistan secure.
Ayesha Iftikhar a young IBA teacher believes that, “Dr. Qadeer has given the best years of his career to Pakistan. I think he is the reason India is not at war with us.” She also thinks that he can be a very useful commodity for the Higher Education Commission and help the upcoming scientists of Pakistan.

Mahrukh Akhtar who is a mother of two and also working as Psychologists while she studies for her masters shares the same feelings. She feels that now Dr. Qadeer should devote his time on training young scientists and they should try to learn from him as much as they can to ensure a brighter future for our country.
The views about Dr. Qadeer are the same across the board. After speaking to professionals I spoke to students at different ages and they all had the exact same emotions. Hafsa who is a 16 year old said that she is happy that he is released but she doesn’t feel that he can do much now because she doesn’t believe he would have access to anything any more and that he won’t even be allowed to teach and be a part of the society in a full way.

Bushra Zia, a University student says that she happy he has been released but is more skeptical. She doesn’t feel that this is a real release. She says that this is just the civil government’s way of getting back at the military government. “The news was pleasant but the hidden reasons behind his release were ambiguously upsetting.” When asked what those hidden reasons might be she wasn’t sure all she could say was that she refuses to believe that the government did this because they thought he was an asset to the country.

There are mixed emotions about many things but the one thing everyone agrees on is that Dr. Qadeer is a national hero and he has a very special place in the hearts of the public of Pakistan.

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