In the womb of a barren mountain, in the remote expanse of a rugged desert, on the 28^th of May, when incinerating heat was belching out – I was surrendering into silent moments of internal warmth – pride and thought. The seismic waves may have escaped the impeccable recorders of many a tracking stations worldwide but they indeed registered peaks of deep meaning through my consciousness – resonating into oscillation. I am not beside myself with ecstatic joy on this occasion, because realistically, we have made a weapon that can put to hostage, generations upon generations of human civilization, but I am sanguine still, since I can find symbolism and figuration in the nuclear exercise. Let me relate how the melting granite in the Chagi Hill, sparkling with flare and black lustre froze my pessimism and darkened my hopelessness. I must say that after the detonation, I have become a more imaginative and zealot thinker; therefore let me share with you my private sense of satisfaction that derives from the nuclear odyssey. 

The scientists whom you can behold tonight and whom you will be shortly listening to, are minarets of radiance – emanating streaks of light, pulsating with hope. They are a crystallsation of our ideals. They personify technological excellence. They are the only examples – or say one of the very few – whom we can follow. We must take lessons from their careers.

 The nuclear tests have been the greatest and most momentous achievement in our half-a-century old scientific life. Firstly they show that even without consistent exogenous help, our scientists may develop whatever they aim at. Our nuclear scientists have been so mercilessly alienated from external help, even in terms of literature, that they could have easily succumbed to failure. I must pay tribute to them for materializing their aspiration in the face of all hardships.  

This brings me to another aspect of the atomic journey. I firmly believe that without concordant teamwork, it would have been a dream-not-come-true. Our nuclear establishments, the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission and the Kahuta Research Laboratories have invested their sweat, money and excellence into the project and displayed the utmost levels of harmony and discipline. The Principal Officers of the two divisions – namely Dr. Ishfaq Ahmed and Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan also deserve our applause for steering our nuclear voyage, amidst the tumult of the tempest, not since India flexed its nuclear muscles on May the 13^th, but even decades before that. 

The concreteness of purpose, the clarity of vision and acuity of the final goal were all the stimulating factors that transformed frail illusions into a tangible reality. Single-minded attention on part of the government also contributed immensely to the entire effort. All these factors mean a lot to me. 

These common divisors also raise a number of questions in my mind. Dr. Abdus Salam, Dr. R M Chaudhary, Dr. Saleem-uz-Zaman, Dr. Ishfaq and finally Dr. Samar Mubarakmand have all been nurtured by our own educational institutions – most notably, the Government College Lahore. There was a time when all such citadels of learning were replete with scientific potential and the students themselves were a true embodiment of the famous "Courage to Know". Why have these organisations stopped playing the same role today? Has the long line of illustrious forebears come to an end?  

We must all devote some time to think over these questions. 

Ladies and gentlemen, it is the need of the hour that we rejuvenated our scientific enterprise. The unparalleled display of scientific keenness and technological mastery that our scientists have presented has already filled our heads with honour and we stand dignified in the comity of nations.  

We may be the sixth nuclear state but why are we 132^nd on the economic scale? It is because our nuclear mastery has far outreached other scientific disciplines. Lack of interest on the part of the government, scarcity of resources, purposelessness, meager incentives and absence of commitment are the compound factors that are responsible for our overall backwardness in the scientific field. 

Therefore it is imperative that our educational institutions, undergo reincarnation. They should protect the scientific discipline from political adversity and make it immune to its financial worries. They must share their resources, publish journals of international repute, freely organize conferences and above all train a team of expert scientists and not to mention, to zero down on the best scientific minds in our country. I must say, through my academic career as well as the Khwarzimic Science Society, I have learnt that there are so many resplendent gems scattered in furtive nooks and corners: let us discover them, polish them and glow in their iridescence, before they disappear unnoticed and unavailed. 

I must also take this as an opportunity to thank all the Members of the Khwarzimic Science Society who have always worked with honorary passion and incomparable interest. The lack of resources has never flagged their élan. The frequency at which they organize high-quality projects like this one, is remarkable. I congratulate them in full warmth.  

Tonight’s gathering has been made possible by a joint organization by the Interact Club Of Lahore Sharqi and a handsome sponsorship from the Habib Bank Limited, through the efforts of Executive Vice President, Mr. Hamid Mukarram Beg. I thank them too. 

I cannot possibly miss thanking my worthy guests: Dr. Samar Mubarakmand, whom this motherland takes pride in owning. We must all feel highly honoured by his presence and his graciousness to accept our invitation. His colleagues: Dr. Khalil Qureshi, Dr. Mansoor Beg and Dr. Masood Ahmad must also accept my heartiest thanks for gracing this august gathering. 

Finally, unmissable is a mention of the guest of Honour, the Vice Chancellor of the Punjab University, Prof. Dr. Khalid Hamid Sheikh for presiding over tonight’s session and patronising the Khwarzimic Science Society. Sir, your presence lends us the much needed encouragement and morale-boosting. We shall never possibly forget your kindness and are indebted with gratitude over your presence.

 In the end I thank you all from the crux of my heart.

Thankyou.