AQ Khan confesses N-proliferation
By Rana Qaisar
ISLAMABAD: Father of Pakistan’s nuclear programme Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan has confessed that he proliferated nuclear technology to Iran, Libya and North Korea, official sources confirmed on Sunday.
“We have completed our probe and the information provided to Pakistan by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Libya and Iran has matched the findings of our investigation,” sources said. They said Dr AQ Khan was in debriefing sessions for eight hours over the last couple of months and he admitted to having cooperated with Iran, Libya and North Korea.
However, sources said, the government had not decided what action to take against Dr Khan. “Maybe it will be of administrative nature or the government may decide on a trial,” the officials said. They said that besides a dozen scientists, engineers and security staff, General (r) Aslam Beg, General (r) Jehangir Karamat and Lt Gen Zulfikar Ali Khan had also been questioned during investigations.
But the officials refrained from sharing any details of the interviews with these generals. “Dr Khan named the retired generals or deceased people for having pressured him to proliferate,” the officials said.
The officials admitted that it was complete intelligence failure that machines, drawings and other equipment found their way out of Pakistan. “We have traced a network that Dr Khan had outside KRL and abroad.”
They said these acts of proliferation took place from 1991 to 1997. “We have also traced the entire route of this proliferation and Dr Khan’s connections with the nuclear black marketers.”
The officials said around four people, who were already in custody, had collaborated with Dr Khan and action would be taken against them too.
In administrative action, Dr Khan was sacked on Saturday from the office of Adviser to the Prime Minister on Strategic Programmes.
dailytimes.com.pk |
