ISLAMABAD: ‘Detained’ nuclear scientist Dr AQ Khan on Monday barred again from meeting people after the United States and United Kingdom expressed their reservations on his ‘release’ on the court’s order, sources close to Dr Khan told Dawn.

Since Feb.6 few people have met Dr Khan but no one was allowed to visit his residence on Monday.

The government made its latest move a day after when Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told media that government reserved the rights to appeal against the court ruling.

‘If they have a right to contest, I too reserve the right to ask the court to uphold its decision,’ the nuclear scientist told Dawn.

Brushing aside all apprehensions of the west that he could again be involved in nuclear proliferation, Dr Khan said he had no concern with his previous department —Khan Research Laboratories (KRL). ‘I have no link with KRL since 2001,’ he said.

He reiterated that he had nothing to do with nuclear programme of Pakistan and due to his bad health he could not resume his work.

‘What I was doing in KRL was very sophisticated work and I cannot resume it because it required continuous involvement,’ he said.

‘Now I am spending time with my family. I have gone through very difficult time in detention but now I feel relief as my family is with me,’ Dr Khan said.

Meanwhile, the New York Times has quoted a Pakistan government official as saying that President Asif Ali Zardari has sought to assure the United States that AQ Khan is still restricted in his movement and activities,.

Mr Khan will be barred from foreign travel, monitored closely, allowed to receive visitors only from an approved list of family and friends, and barred from making financial transactions, the official, who requested anonymity, told the Times.

The court’s decision helped Mr. Zardari domestically but forced him to assuage American officials’ concerns that Mr Khan could rebuild his proliferation network.

One US official has said on Monday that the United States wanted more as well as ‘solid’ assurances from Pakistan that he will not be such a threat.

‘Whatever it is that they decide in terms of putting additional restrictions on his (Khan's) movements, we will have to see,’ the State Department official told reporters on the condition of anonymity.

‘I understand that he has to notify (his) government 48 hours in advance if he wants to travel outside of Islamabad. That's one of the things they've communicated to us,’ according to the official.

‘I'm sure there's more that the Pakistanis can do, and we expect and hope that they will do more to make sure that he is no longer a proliferation risk.’

The official said Anne Patterson, the US ambassador, received assurances from Pakistani government officials during a meeting in Islamabad at the weekend. The official said Washington was still skeptical.

‘We want to make sure these assurances are solid and that they can explain to us as to how they plan to do so, the official said.