Islamabad, Aug 18 (IANS) Abdul Qadeer Khan, who mentored Pakistan’s nuclear programme, said Monday former president Pervez Musharraf should not be permitted to leave the country but should be arrested and tried.”He should not be allowed to leave the country. He should be arrested and should be tried in the highest court,” the scientist, who is under arrest since 2004 for allegedly smuggling Pakistan’s nuclear secrets to North Korea and Libya, told IANS.

He said: “Musharraf is facing the same fate to which he put me in… he forced me to read a statement and to admit mistakes which I never committed. Now, he was forced by someone else to apologize to the nation for his misdeeds and resign.

“He has admitted his mistakes and now he should be tried,” said Khan, hoping that with Musharraf’s resignation, he himself will be freed and the fake charges against him will be withdrawn.

In a televised address Monday, Musharraf announced he was quitting and later in the evening, handed over his resignation to National Assembly Speaker Fehmida Mirza.

Musharraf, in his address, said he was leaving his future to the people. “I leave my future in the hands of people,” said Musharraf, who opted to resign rather than face impeachment.

“To err is human. I hope that people will ignore my shortcomings if any,” Musharraf said in a sombre tone as he listed his achievements during his almost nine-year rule.

Known for his steady nerves and commando instincts, Musharraf who always refused to go down without a fight, finally “surrendered” to the possible fallout of impeachment at the hands of his political foes.