GZERO World Clips

Hero or dangerous spy? The story behind the father of Pakistan's nuclear bomb

Hero or Dangerous Spy? The Story Behind the Father of Pakistan's Nuclear Bomb | GZERO World

Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan recently died as a national hero in Pakistan for helping his country develop its nuclear bomb in 1998 to rival India's nukes. GZERO World takes a look at A.Q. Khan, whom former CIA boss George Tenet once said was as threatening as Osama bin Laden, stole nuclear secrets from a Dutch uranium enrichment company to build centrifuges for Pakistan's atomic weapon. But he didn't stop there: in 2004 A.Q. Kahn was placed under the Pakistani version of house arrest for sharing his nuclear recipes with Iran, Libya, and North Korea. He was finally pardoned five years later, and remains as beloved by his countrymen as he is regarded elsewhere as one of the most dangerous men in history.

Watch the episode: Nuclear weapons: more dangerous than ever?

More For You

U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping talk as they leave after a bilateral meeting at Gimhae International Airport, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, in Busan, South Korea, October 30, 2025.
REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

China has defied Western sanctions for years and buys as much as 90% of Iran’s oil exports.

Ukraine's Minister of Defence Mykhailo Fedorov speaks at a joint press conference with his Swedish counterpart Pal Jonson (not pictured), amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, July 1, 2026.
REUTERS/Alina Smutko

Critics have said that Zelensky – now in his seventh year in office – has been in power for too long.