Claim: Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan died because of the insensitivity and lack of empathy of the Pakistani nation.
Fact: Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan died after developing health complications due to COVID 19
Starting from 0:35 in the video, the anchor states that “Abdul Qadeer Khan died of solitude. Although he was also battling cancer in the last days of his life but this person who was fighting cancer, this benefactor lost (his life) because of the insensitivity of his nation (qaum). This warrior who won the battle of life from corona, lost his last battle from the angel of death.”
The text running at the bottom at multiple occasions states that “the person (Dr. Qadeer) who had recovered completely from COVID 19, died because of the insensitivity of his nation.” For example at 4:21 in the video:
This is contrary to the statement issued to the press by his doctors.
Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan was diagnosed with prostate cancer according to a government announcement in August 2006 and was operated on for it at the Agha Khan hospital in Karachi in September of 2006. He developed multiple conditions after that.
He was admitted to Khan Research Laboratories Hospital on 26th August 2021 after he tested positive for COVID 19 according to the statement of his spokesperson circulated by the Associated Press of Pakistan. According to the doctors treating him, he died of post-corona complications at the age of 85. His funeral was attended by thousands of Pakistanis including government and military representatives.
In the mid-70s, then Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto tasked him to head the nuclear-program of the country – a program that led to successful testing of Pakistan’s nuclear bombs on 28th May 1998. He also played a key role in helping Pakistan develop its ballistic missiles arsenal starting with the medium range Ghauri 1.
On January 31st he was dismissed from service by President Gen. (retired) Parvez Musharraf on charges of helping the nuclear-weapons programs of Iran, North Korea and Libya. Dr. Qadeer confessed to the allegations on Pakistan’s national television four days later.
His words from one of his interviews also contradicts Bol TV’s headline: “I am not unhappy with the people of Pakistan. But I am not happy with the hypocrite rulers.”
He was given a state funeral at Faisal Mosque in Islamabad.
Conclusion: Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan was suffering from multiple health conditions. He died due to further health related complications after he tested positive for COVID 19. He did not die because of the lack of empathy of the nation as suggested by the text in the caption as well as the tag line in the video. The caption and text in the video are false.