ISLAMABAD, April 21: President Gen Pervez Musharraf said on Wednesday Pakistan's nuclear programme was non-negotiable. Saying that the programme is there to stay , the president urged the nation to develop maturity, self-confidence and self-belief as a responsible nuclear power.

Addressing the scientists, engineers, technicians and other staff of Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) during a visit to the country's premier nuclear facility at Kahuta, he said there was no pressure on Pakistan with regard to its nuclear programme and the government would not brook any pressure in future as well.

An official announcement said the president traced the background of the recent proliferation episode, and stressed that Pakistan was in the front line in the international fight against both terrorism and nuclear proliferation.

He said Pakistan had developed its nuclear capability solely for the purpose of deterrence and defence of Pakistan's sovereignty at great sacrifice. No government, he said, had been involved in any kind of proliferation activities. Those individuals who had indulged in proliferation for personal gains, he added, had been taken to task and no efforts were being spared to uproot the network from its seems.

President Musharraf explained to the scientists and engineers of the KRL the rationale for the decisions taken in the recent past both at the time of ordering investigations into allegations of proliferation against senior Pakistani scientists as well as at the time of emergence of concrete evidence consequent to the investigations.

Highlighting the monumental achievements of KRL's proud work force, he said Pakistan owed a debt of gratitude to its national heroes for strengthening national security and making the country's defence impregnable.

The president said his frequent visits to Kahuta were indicative of the high esteem in which he and the nation held the KRL. He reiterated Pakistan's resolve to further strengthen its minimum deterrence needs.

He said his decisions were always guided by supreme national interest and in the proliferation episode too time had shown the decisions taken were correct and served national interest. "The (proliferation) episode is behind us," he added, and asked the scientists not to be misled by petty politics of vested interests and cynics.

President Musharraf concluded by saying that the key fundamental decision of the government was that the nuclear programme would have only one direction - a forward one.

Reiterating the government's commitment to non-proliferation, he said Pakistan's strategic assets were under strict custodial control, and "we have a robust Command and Control System". Later, he had lunch with the scientists and wished them well in their continuing efforts to take Pakistan forward.