|
|
|
| 17 April 2004 | Saturday | 26 Safar 1425 |
China, Japan briefed on N-probe findings
ISLAMABAD, April 16: Pakistan has shared relevant information on the illicit nuclear proliferation with its concerned Asian allies including China, Japan and South Korea, it is learnt.
The information was secured from the country's top nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan by official Pakistani investigators during an internal probe into the nuclear transfers. "We have briefed the Chinese, the Japanese and the Koreans on the general thrust of our findings," sources privy to this process told Dawn on Friday.
According to these sources the primary concern of these countries was the scale of nuclear weapons capability that North Korea had acquired, whether it had a pilot plant or research facilities.
Their concern stemmed from Dr A. Q. Khan's public admission in February that he had cooperated with Libya, Iran and North Korea in proliferating nuclear technology. Pakistan remains sensitive to the concerns of these Asian countries, especially of Japan, about the dangers of nuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, officials here said.
Foreign Office spokesman Masood Khan said on Wednesday that Pakistan was sharing information from the ongoing probe into proliferation by Dr Khan with the international community and other countries that have a direct interest in this matter.
The South Korean foreign minister on Wednesday confirmed Pakistan had shared information regarding the North Korea's nuclear capabilities with his government but he said the contents of the information were vague.
Pakistan's National Command Authority (NCA) that safeguards the country's nuclear assets and facilities instituted last year an internal probe into proliferation of technology after the US government provided evidence of Pakistani scientists' involvement in the nuclear black-market.
The inquiry was also prompted by information provided by Iran to the UN's International Atomic Energy Commission implicating Pakistan. US President George Bush on Tuesday credited his administration for unearthing the "dangerous" Dr A.Q Khan headed global network of nuclear proliferators.
Informed sources claim that investigations had established that while Libya and Iran "acquired quite a lot" they did not get anywhere near the nuclear capability because they lacked the trained manpower and domestic infrastructure required for it. However, reportedly the Israeli and US intelligence agencies are convinced that Iran is concealing something.
|
|
|
|