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| 29 February 2004 | Sunday | 08 Muharram 1425 |
Beg denies involvement in N-tech transfer
ISLAMABAD, Feb 28: Former chief of the army staff Gen Mirza Aslam Beg (retired) has refuted the contents of a report appearing in New York Times alleging that he was involved in transfer of nuclear technology to Iran in 1990.
In a statement here on Saturday, the former chief said the then deputy secretary of defence Henry Rowen had made the revelation that he (Mr Beg) had told him that in the event the US stopped giving arms to Pakistan, Islamabad would be compelled to transfer nuclear technology to Iran.
Mr Beg termed this claim a "blatant lie and a figment of imagination".
He said similar allegation was made by former US ambassador to Pakistan Robert Oakley, a reverberation of which was in the statement made by PML-N Senator Ishaq Dar in the Senate session on Friday. In the Senate session, he said, Mr Dar had once again reiterated Mr Rowen's statement, which indeed was surprising as to "what precisely was the complicity between the US establishment and Mr Dar?"
Mr Beg said: "The allegations made against me are a part of conspiracy to create a dent into Pakistan-Iran relationship." It was no secret as to what was the nature of defence cooperation between Iran and Pakistan, and in the light of this to contend that there was exchange of nuclear secrets, was "concocted and baseless story."
He said: "To make allegations based on hearsay is nothing but a crude attempt at character assassination. My own 'self' is not important but I certainly view the country's interests very vital, which are under threat through an orchestrated propaganda of this kind."
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