Thaindian News

Washington, Sep 9 (IANS) Rogue Pakistani scientist A.Q. Khan, who is the father of the Islamic nation’s nuclear weapons programme, has now admitted the Pakistani hand in the Iranian nuclear programme.
In an interview with Pakistan’s Aaj television network recently, Khan said he and other senior Pakistani officials guided Iran to a network of suppliers to advance its covert nuclear programme years ago.

He said they were instrumental in Tehran’s covert purchases of equipment through Pakistan’s ‘reliable’ suppliers based in Dubai.

His statement is the first admission of official Pakistani support for Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

It will further expose Pakistan’s duplicity as Iran faces tougher international sanctions within weeks for its decision to pursue its nuclear programme.

The scientist, who was put under house arrest by then president Pervez Musharraf after he was declared an international pariah for his role in nuclear proliferation, said if Iran succeeds in “acquiring nuclear technology, we will be a strong bloc in the region to counter international pressure. Iran’s nuclear capability will neutralise Israeli power.”

Khan also confirmed that Pakistan obtained critical missile technology from North Korea, but he refused to say whether he aided its nuclear programme.

According to Washington and former senior Pakistani officials, Khan played a role in developing North Korea’s capability to enrich uranium for a bomb.

Khan admitted that North Korean engineers visited “our directors general in their departments to observe different operations”, but added that “nuclear technology cannot be learned by visiting a nuclear site and observing a few machines”, according to the Washington Post.

The newspaper quoted a Pakistani embassy spokesman as saying that “these are the views of a person who has been rendered ineffective, and his network has been completely shut up”.