US not being helped against Iran: FO

Published January 18, 2005

ISLAMABAD, Jan 17: The Foreign Office on Monday denied reports in a United States magazine that Pakistan was helping American special forces target suspected weapons sites for air strikes in Iran.

"There is no such collaboration," Foreign Office spokesman Masood Khan said, referring to an article in The New Yorker magazine that claimed Pakistani scientists were providing the US with information on Iranian nuclear sites.

"We do not have much information about Iran's nuclear programme so I think this report is far-fetched and it exaggerates facts which do not exist in the first place," the spokesman told a press briefing. "I do not think there is any substance in what has been reported.

I think this is pure conjecture," he said. The magazine said Pakistan was helping the US in return for guarantees that it will not have to hand over nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan to international authorities for questioning. It said Pakistani scientists were giving information to be used by US commandos in Iran. -AFP

Opinion

Editorial

Some progress
Updated 24 May, 2026

Some progress

Pakistan deserves credit for helping preserve diplomatic space, but also must avoid appearing aligned with coercive pressure from any side.
Chinese market
24 May, 2026

Chinese market

PRIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s trip to China presents an opportunity to rebalance Pakistan’s economic...
Harvesting humans
24 May, 2026

Harvesting humans

ORGAN brokers have for too long preyed on desperation to rake it in. The odious trade — among the most harmful...
More stabilisation
Updated 23 May, 2026

More stabilisation

The stabilisation achieved through painful growth compression steps could have been used as a platform for structural reforms.
Appalling tactics
23 May, 2026

Appalling tactics

IN Punjab, an encounter with the law can quickly turn deadly. Encouraged by a culture of ‘shoot first, ask...
Failed experiment
23 May, 2026

Failed experiment

IT is going from bad to worse for Shan Masood and Pakistan. It is now seven successive Test defeats away from home;...