07 February 2004	Saturday	15 Zilhaj 1424

VIENNA, Feb 6: The International Atomic Energy Agency insisted on Friday that its investigation into black market nuclear trading was on track.

"We are intensely interested in this black market because it impacts on our ability to complete our work in Iran and Libya," IAEA spokesman Mark Gwozdecky said.

He was speaking after President Pervez Musharraf on Thursday rejected demands for an independent investigation, sharing of documents with the IAEA or opening of nuclear installations to UN inspections.

"This is a sovereign country, no documents will be submitted to the IAEA, to an independent inquiry and we will not allow UN to supervise our nuclear programme," Gen Musharraf said. But IAEA officials would be welcome to visit and Pakistan would discuss with them the results of its own investigation, he said.

Pakistan is a member of the IAEA but not a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which empowers the agency to monitor world-wide compliance with nuclear safeguards.

"We have to look at the statute to see if there's the expectation that other member states would cooperate with the agency with its safeguards elsewhere," a Western diplomat at the IAEA said.

The revelations from Mr Khan are just the "tip of an iceberg" about such illegal trafficking, IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei said on Thursday.

He said Pakistan has been "quite cooperative so far" with the IAEA. But a diplomat said nothing would have happened without US pressure on Pakistan to come clean on Mr Khan.

"The US put so much pressure on them. If it were just the IAEA, forget it, they couldn't do a thing," the diplomat said. -AFP