ISLAMABAD, April 2: The US for the first time on Wednesday explicitly accused Pakistan and North Korea of missile-related trade, but said it was unable to substantiate reports of nuclear technology transfers.

A State Department statement received here said North Korea had exported missile technology to the A.Q. Khan Research Laboratories (KRL).

The export prompted the US to slap trade sanctions on KRL and the North Korean missile marketing entity, Changgwang Sinyong Corporation, on March 24, spokesman Philip Reeker said in the statement.

“Changgwang Sinyong Corporation transferred missile-related technology to KRL,” Mr Reeker said, without specifying when.

“The United States made a determination to impose penalties on both Changgwang Sinyong Corporation and KRL as a result of this specific missile-related transfer.”

KRL and the North Korean firm have been banned from trade with US firms under the sanctions imposed on March 24, but only formally announced by the US on Monday.

Japan’s Sankei Shimbun newspaper reported on Wednesday that US satellites and spy networks detected North Korean exports of some 10 Scud B missiles to Pakistan last month.

An unnamed US security official told the paper the missiles were loaded on to a Pakistan-flagged cargo ship at a North Korean port in mid-March, and entered Pakistani territory in late March.

Numerous media reports, quoting unnamed US intelligence officials, have alleged that Pakistan exported nuclear technology to North Korea.

The reports alleged North Korea had received from Pakistan designs for gas centrifuges to make weapons-grade uranium to manufacture fissile material for nuclear bombs.

But Mr Reeker said Washington was unable to prove the reports.

“We informed the Congress on March 12 that the administration had carefully reviewed the facts relating to the possible transfer of nuclear technology from Pakistan to North Korea, and decided that the facts do not warrant the imposition of sanctions under applicable US laws.”—AFP