December 25, 2003	Thursday	Ziqa’ad 1, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, Dec 24: The Pakistan People’s party has expressed dismay and alarm at what it said the shocking disclosure by the government about contravention of “no export of nuclear technology” policy.

The PPP spokesperson Senator Farhatullah Babar here on Wednesday said, “the Pakistan People’s Party expresses alarm at the shocking disclosure by the Musharraf regime that Pakistan’s policy of no export of nuclear technology was contravened.

Quoting the Foreign Office disclosure on Tuesday that key scientists associated with the nuclear programme were being debriefed in connection with the disclosures made by Iran and the International Atomic Energy Commission (IAEA), the senator said “the previous media reports claimed that the Musharraf regime permitted sale of nuclear know-how to North Korea in exchange for missile technology”.

“It may be recalled that in 1989 Islamabad had adopted the Benazir nuclear doctrine under which there was to be no export of nuclear technology to any third country and Islamabad was not to shape its nuclear components into a device unless there was danger to its security.

“Moreover, under this doctrine nuclear scientists were under strict orders not to proceed abroad without official permission and security cover to prevent any third party gaining access to their knowledge,” Senator Babar claimed.

The spokesman recalled the US Secretary of State Colin Powell’s October 2002 statement wherein he had stated that he had addressed the matter with Gen Musharraf “who assured us that Pakistan was not participating in any kind of activity of that nature anymore”.

“Powell, at that time, and aides eversince, pointedly did not rule out previous nuclear transgressions under Gen Musharraf.” He said this amounted to Gen Musharraf’s implied admission that such nuclear exchange was permitted in the past. Mr Babar said the PPP believes that in permitting such exchanges, Gen Musharraf jeopardized Pakistan’s nuclear assets.

The spokesman demanded resignation from Gen Musharraf, under whom the nuclear command and control system collapsed, with or without his approval, “for endangering nuclear and security system”, setting up of a joint committee of parliament to inquire into the allegations of nuclear technology export to ascertain whether the scientists were acting individually or following orders of the regime.