WASHINGTON, Nov 16: The United States — responding to media reports that Pakistan had been assisting North Korea’s nuclear programme until three months ago — indicated on Wednesday that there was no imminent threat of diplomatic censure or sanctions against its South Asian ally.

Officials at the White House and the State Department declined to comment directly on a report in Wednesday’s Washington Post saying Pakistan had continued to provide uranium enrichment technology to North Korea to help them build a nuclear bomb long after declaring itself an ally of the United States in its war on terror.

But they were careful to emphasize both the value of Pakistan as an ally and the strength of the assurances they were given by its President Pervez Musharraf last month — when evidence of Pakistan’s past collaboration with the Communist hermit kingdom first emerged — that no such activity was currently underway.

“Pakistan has been a strong partner in the global coalition in the war against terrorism,” said White House National Security spokesman Scott McClellan when asked about the Post report.

He referred to — and quoted verbatim — comments last month by Secretary of State Colin Powell.

“The President of Pakistan, he assured me,” Powell told reporters at the APEC summit in Mexico City Oct 26, “he said ‘400 per cent assurance’ that there is no such interchange taking place now of any kind between Pakistan (and North Korea) ... “

McClellan also echoed and quoted Powell’s specific refusal at that time to discuss Pakistan’s past record: “I think I would leave it where Secretary Powell left it on Oct 26 after he had discussions with President Musharraf,” said McClellan, “And he said: We didn’t talk about the past. We’ll talk about now and the future.”

McClellan was being questioned about US laws that provide for the suspension of economic and military aid to any country found to have delivered nuclear technology without international safeguards — as is apparently the case in this instance. Such sanctions were imposed against Pakistan in 1979. But in common with most other sanctions legislation, the law contains a clause under which the president can waive its provisions if he deems it in the national security interests of the United States to do so.

Last year, President Bush employed such waivers to lift nuclear-related sanctions against Pakistan after the Musharraf government agreed to help in the fight against Al Qaeda and Afghanistan’s Taliban militia after the Sept 11 attacks.

Responding to questions about the law, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher implied that such waivers would be employed in regard to any findings about Pakistani technology transfers to North Korea prior to the assurances that Powell received last month.

“I think we’ll follow the laws as appropriate, including using any particular waivers that might exist,” he told reporters.

Even on background, officials were careful to avoid mention of possible punitive repercussions.

“They have made a commitment. All countries including Pakistan understand the consequences of proliferation related cooperation with North Korea,” a State Department official told United Press International on condition of anonymity. But he declined to elaborate.

Last month, Islamabad denied the initial reports that they had aided North Korea, calling them “vicious propaganda aimed at maligning Pakistan.”

But when asked to comment on Wednesday, an official at the Pakistan Embassy in Washington said: “Commitments have been given at the highest level and we stand by our commitment.”