Pakistan Admits Possible Nuke Ties With Iran

Pakistan has never authorized the transfer of nuclear technology to other countries but some individuals may have given away secrets out of greed or personal ambition, Foreign Ministry spokesman Masood Khan said Tuesday.

At least three scientists, including the man dubbed the father of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program, have been questioned by local officials. The officials are examining possible ties between Pakistan and the nuclear program in Iran.

“Pakistan has been conducting internal investigations, as it wants to get to the bottom of the matter and know whether there is any truth in such reports,” Khan said at a news conference in which he confirmed reports of the inquiry.

Pakistani officials had been approached by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations nuclear watchdog, and had also been given information by the Iranian government, Khan said.

“The information that was shared with us pointed to certain individuals, and we had to hold the debriefing sessions,” he said. “There are indications that certain individuals might have been motivated by personal ambition or greed, but let me add, we have not made a final determination. Let’s not jump to conclusions.”

Pakistan has repeatedly said that it has strict command and control measures in place to ensure the security of its nuclear program.

But officials admitted privately that the recent debriefing revealed that certain people in the country’s top nuclear establishment might have breached the strict export control procedures by making unauthorized contacts with foreign nationals.

Officials said that Farooq Mohammed and Yasin Chohan, directors of Khan Research Laboratories in Kahuta were interrogated by investigators. They were picked up by authorities in the first week of December, said a source familiar with the inquiry.

Chohan was allowed to go home last week, but Farooq was being questioned further after he provided clear leads to the investigators, according to the source.

“He is cooperating with the authorities and revealing the information relating to misconduct of some top scientists,” the source said.

Farooq has also named a Dubai-based Iranian as the main contact between the Iranian government and the Pakistani scientists, the source said. But officials are keeping the name of the contact secret.

The authorities are also investigating an unspecified number of middle-level officials at the research laboratory.

Abdul Qadeer Khan, a national hero in Pakistan for his pioneering work in its nuclear program, is not being debriefed like some other nuclear scientists, the spokesman said.

“He is neither being detained nor has the government restricted his movements,” said Khan, the Foreign Ministry spokesman. “He will not take part in normal debriefing sessions, and no restrictions have been imposed on him.

“He is being asked some questions in the light of the disclosures made by some other scientists undergoing questioning,” Khan said.

Abdul Qadeer Khan has also denied he is being questioned or attending any debriefing sessions. “All the news reports in this regard are baseless and rubbish. I am the same Dr. Qadeer Khan remembered by this nation as its savior,” he said in a statement to various Urdu-language newspapers.