Pakistan nukes father spills beans

 Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan

Abdul Qadeer Khan, the disgraced father of Pakistan's nuclear programme on Friday disclosed that the US-backed Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and the powerful military which was under his command in 2000, were fully involved in sending of centrifuges to North Korea.

The logo of A.Q.Khan labs set up by A.Q.Khan



This is for the first time that Khan, who publicly confessed in 2004 that he transferred nuclear secrets to North Korea, Iran and Libya on his own, has pointed finger at Musharraf and the military which is responsible for the security of nuclear facilities.

After Khan confessed, Musharraf pardoned him immediately and put him under unofficial house arrest at his Islamabad villa.

Khan began to speak to media by phone after the new government lifted some restrictions on him. In his first interview to media by telephone, he began saying that he confessed to save Pakistan. In the subsequent telephonic media interviews Khan started to criticise Musharraf for making a mess of Pakistan.

On Friday, his revelations about the Korean nuclear proliferation episode, shook the Pakistani establishment and the powerful presidency.

Khan also voiced his anger over the bugging of his home, even bed rooms and toilets.

"My wife used to call them dogs by shouting loud near the spying devices. They do not have any shame. Why did they install spying devices in our bedroom. Did they want to listen to what noises, the husband and wife make during the night," Khan said in an interview to private Geo television.

Pro-establishment media sprung into action immediately after the disclosure harping the official line that the utterances by Khan would jeopardise Pakistan's national interest.

Musharraf has also been insisting on hushing up the matter "in the national interest" but now the people of Pakistan know that the rulers have used this term just to cover up their misdeeds.

Khan said that he was asked by a reporter about smuggling of nuclear centrifuges to North Korea and he just replied that Musharraf in his book In the Line of the Fire  has himself written about it.

"In 2000, Musharraf was President and the army chief and the military was responsible for the security of nuclear assets and the ISI (Inter-Services-Intelligence, the military secret service) also knew each and everything. If centrifuges were sent to Korea, then everyone knew it," Khan said.

"They promised me a lot of things, but I am still under house arrest. I am suferring from many diseases and cancer. How long can I bear this. The restrictions against me are totally uncalled for?"

The pro-establishment media, which has been the main beneficiary of state largess, tried to twist Khan's revelation as a "personality clash" with Musharraf. What a lame argument.

Independent analysts said that Khan's utterances could land Musharraf in trouble and cast a shadow on Pakistan's nuclear programme.

Pakistan conducted its nuclear tests in May 1998 after India's tests with whom it has fought three wars.

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