Dr. A.Q Khan had always held a special place in the hearts of Pakistanis for being the pioneer of our nuclear programme, which helped strengthen our position in the region. His alleged involvement in nuclear proliferation was a very disconcerting phenomenon for the nation, a kind of hot herring to digest. His recent appearance on media has jolted his fan following once again. The derogatory language used by Dr. Khan against former President and the current regime is so uncharacteristic of a person of his stature. Without realizing the effects of his words, Mr. Khan kept on abusing and calling names. He should be thankful to the former and present regime that they did not allow access to him to the international agencies despite his alleged connection to international proliferation. -ALI AMMAR, Karachi, via e-mail, August 29.