PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar on Wednesday called for an investigation into nuclear proliferation by Pakistan under the rule of former president Pervez Musharraf.

Babar rejected claims Musharraf made during an interview with Dunya News yesterday, in which the retired general said he met with George Tenet, a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) agent, during a trip to the United States (US) at the insistence of former US president George Bush.

Musharraf claimed in his interview that the former CIA agent had shown him photographic evidence of Pakistani nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan's involvement in the proliferation of nuclear material outside Pakistan.

Senator Babar was concerned that Musharraf's claims would "open old wounds" and strengthen the international position that Pakistan was involved in nuclear proliferation in North Korea.

Babar, calling for an investigation into nuclear proliferation at that time, claimed it was impossible for any single individual to smuggle huge centrifuge machines and other nuclear material out of the country.

"Dr Khan could not have carried the nuclear material on his head," the senator said, adding that Musharraf's statements had "opened up a Pandora's box".

"We say that the civil nuclear agreement between America and India is one-sided. Musharraf's statements have given them the license to claim that Pakistan is involved in nuclear proliferation," Babar said, referring to a landmark nuclear deal signed by former Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh and Bush in 2008.

Pakistan sought a similar deal at the time, but Washington remained cool to the idea.

Chairman Senate Raza Rabbani questioned the timing of Musharraf's statements, asking why such claims had been made days after US President Donald Trump made serious allegations against Pakistan.

Rabbani called for the matter to be opened for discussion before the Senate.

Musharraf's interview

The former general claimed in his interview that Dr Khan was involved in nuclear proliferation through a Sri Lankan front man who acted as a double agent, The News reported.

Musharraf claimed that after he confronted Dr Khan upon returning from the US, the scientist cried and asked for forgiveness, The News added.

The general claimed that Dr Khan was later put under house arrest for his protection.

Dr Khan was removed from his post and confined to his house in 2005 after allegations of involvement in clandestine nuclear proliferation were first made against him.

"I accepted the pressure but never handed Dr Qadeer to any country," the daily quoted Musharraf as saying.

According to The News, the former general said that he had been "embarrassed" during his meeting with the CIA agent.

'Missing' persons

Senator Babar claimed that militants are using the country's cyber crime laws to propagate their narrative.

He regretted that the laws were being 'used for negative purposes' and called on the government to pay heed to the speed at which citizens were going 'missing'.

"The gap between citizens and the state is widening and this should be stopped," Babar said.

Rabbani noted that the judiciary and the parliament had been unsuccessful in solving the matter of missing persons.