ISLAMABAD, May 26: Pakistan has sent parts of a nuclear centrifuge to Vienna to help the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in its proliferation investigation and its analysis to check if these had any resemblance to nuclear material found in Iran, Libya or North Korea. Foreign Office spokesman Jalil Abbas Jilani said: “This is something about which we had already made public commitment.”

The spokesman said Pakistan was cooperating voluntarily with the IAEA to promote nuclear non-proliferation. Mr Jilani said: “Used parts of an old and discarded centrifuge, which had no bearing on our national security have been sent.”

The spokesman said a team of Pakistani experts had been sent with the centrifuge parts to assist the IAEA in the analysis. “The IAEA would carry out the analysis in the presence of our experts after which the centrifuge parts would be brought back,” he added.

When asked if Pakistan was under investigation for nuclear proliferation, the foreign office spokesman said: “Pakistan is not under investigation. We are cooperating with regard to the investigations being conducted to probe nuclear proliferation in another country.

“Not only the IAEA, but Iran had also requested Pakistan to cooperate so that there is a closure to the proliferation issue,” said Mr Jilani.

AFP adds: A Vienna-based diplomat said that the parts had arrived at IAEA’s headquarters on Thursday and that it was Pakistan which had suggested lending the equipment.