ISLAMABAD, Nov 27: The government told the Senate on Monday the condition of detained nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan was ‘better than before’ after his recent treatment and denied that he was taking pain-killers.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sher Afgan Khan Niazi made the statement after Senator Khurshid Ahmed of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal cited press reports that the father of the country's nuclear programme could not even recite the Holy Quran and had to take pain-killers because of a leg swelling.

The MMA senator also repeated a demand he had been making in the past that the government allow a joint delegation of government and opposition senators to meet the scientist.

Mr Niazi said the government had been as much worried as the opposition about Dr Qadeer Khan after he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, and that ‘maximum medical facilities’ were provided for his recovery.

"According to my information, his health is better than before," the minister said and wondered why the scientist should take pain-killers when he could be given antibiotics.

"This is fabricated," he said about the report of Dr Qadeer Khan's condition.