ISLAMABAD, Feb 9: The foreign office here on Monday averred that the pardon granted to Dr A.Q. Khan by the President last week related to the charges the nuclear scientist had already accepted and that could not be regarded as a 'blanket pardon' as he was still under security checks and investigations.
The foreign office spokesman said at his weekly press briefing here that Dr Khan stayed under strict surveillance and further investigations were continuing against him, the outcome of which was not covered by any presidential 'blanket pardon'.
Spokesman Masood Khan indicated that any future proven charges against Dr Khan as a result of the continuing investigations against him were not covered by the conditional pardon granted by President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Feb 5. The president's pardon given to Dr Khan concerned the charges which had been proved and owned by the KRL' chief scientist in an open televised confession.
The spokesman said Dr Khan had been placed under strict surveillance and his movements had been restricted. Neither the KRL chief nor his alleged accomplice senior scientists would be allowed to resume the posts they had held hitherto, he added.
About seven other scientists and three security and administrative officials were still under custody. Answering a question, the spokesman did not accept that the action against Dr Khan appeared to have been taken in haste while the investigations were continuing.
The spokesman contended that the action was taken "at the most appropriate time" in course of about two months of investigations against the KRL scientists. He argued that four leads were being checked out but you have to establish a threshold for action when time was ripe and allegations were substantiated.
The spokesman rebutted a widely held impression in public and media, including international media, that rushing with the decision to take action against Dr Khan and to grant him pardon almost on the following day, had badly dented Pakistan's credibility, as it appeared a part of a well-rehearsed drama.
He asserted that it was a very difficult decision which the government of Pakistan took in its wisdom keeping in view the supreme national interest and Dr Khan's image as an icon who was the chief architect of the nation's nuclear programme.
He also pointed out that the decision was widely acclaimed in the country and was profusely commended by China, France, the United States and several other countries which appreciated the difficult and bold decision the government had to take in the given conditions in and around the country.
TALKS WITH UK: The spokesman also read out a statement responding to a radio reporter's question, saying that Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri had received a communication from the British government assuring that the British government would not like to do anything to harm bilateral relationship between the United Kingdom and Pakistan over the issue of nuclear proliferation.
The British government asserted that it continued to attach great importance to the relationship between the two countries and emphasized the need to maintain the cooperation and putting "behind the irritant" over the nuclear proliferation reports which were critical of Pakistan.
Replying to another question, the spokesman recalled the measures taken against possible nuclear proliferation in the future and emphasized that firm custodial controls were in place, and Pakistan had a multi-pronged intelligence system monitoring all the activities in the nuclear establishment and had several security rings around the nuclear establishments. He said that the measures against proliferation were impeccable.