6 replies to this topic

[KudosBot]

Gave N-Tech Info to Two Countries on Benazir's Orders: AQ



Pakistan's nuclear scientist A Q Khan has claimed that he had transfered nuclear technology to "two countries" on the orders of slain former premier Benazir Bhutto.

"The then Prime Minister Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto summoned me and named the two countries which were to be assisted and issued clear directions in this regard," Khan said in an interview with the Jang media group.

He did not name the two countries.

Khan claimed he had no option but to obey Bhutto, who was killed by a suicide attacker in late 2007.

"I was not independent but was bound to abide by the orders of the Prime Minister, hence I did take this step in compliance with her order," he said.

"The prime minister would have certainly known about the role and cooperation of the two countries, mentioned by her, in our national interest," he claimed.

The transfer of nuclear technology is not easy and at least 800 people supervise the process, said Khan, who was placed under house arrest after he acknowledged in 2004 that he had run a clandestine proliferation ring.

Libya and North Korea are among the countries to which Khan's ring supplied nuclear technology and know-how.

The current Pakistan People's Party-led government has eased restrictions on Khan over the past few years.

Khan has also retracted his confession, claiming he was pressured to acknowledge on TV that he had run a proliferation network.

Khan said former premier Nawaz Sharif, who now claims credit for the nuclear tests of 1998, was "absolutely not ready to conduct" the blasts and did not want to do so because of the fear that the US might be annoyed and his government might be threatened.

[KudosBot]

Pakistan should improve its relations with India: Nuclear scientist AQ Khan


Islamabad: Pakistani nuclear scientist AQ Khan, known for his anti-India stance, has said that Pakistan should improve relations with India in order to counter alleged US plans to divide the country.

"The US agenda regarding Pakistan is very clear. It wants to divide Pakistan and wants to limit the country merely to the Punjab.

"The US wants to get a no-war pact signed with India after naming the Punjab as Pakistan whereas we should improve relations with and adopt a friendly attitude towards India, instead of signing a no-war pact with her," Mr Khan said.

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WikiLeaks: The AQ Khan controversy
Mr Khan said Pakistan's relations with India were "heading in the right direction nowadays".

Pakistan should promote friendly relations with India while sticking to its stance, he said in an interview with the Jang media group.

He said he does not want to play a role in national politics but has launched the Tehrik Tahaffuz-e-Pakistan party to protect the country.

He further said he does not want to assume power but wants to bring good and clean people in power.

President Asif Ali Zardari was "far ahead of General Ziaul Haq" and had beaten former premier Nawaz Sharif in the political arena, Mr Khan claimed.

He said a government that has a democratic face and acts on the dictates of the US, like the current administration, is highly suitable to Washington.

Mr Khan claimed the government and opposition were equally responsible for the unrest, lawlessness and instability in Pakistan.

Political ineptitude, lack of strategy and wrong decisions on the part of Mr Sharif had a major role in making Mr Zardari so strong, he claimed.

Mr Sharif cooperated with Mr Zardari under the Charter of Democracy signed by the PPP and PML-N.

"He believed that the government of Zardari will last just a few months or a maximum of two years and then he will be the only successor.

"Because of the same confidence and misunderstanding, He did not even get his share for extending cooperation and did not demand the offices of the Prime Minister, Speaker of the National Assembly or the office of the Senate Chairman," he said.

Referring to the upcoming general election, Mr Khan said the claim of the Supreme Court that it had closed all doors for the army to come to power was meaningless because if the army wants, it can assume power and create a justification for assuming power.

If the army wants, it could also hold elections on scheduled time.

Mr Khan claimed Pakistan's nuclear programme was currently 100 percent safe but if any dictator assumed power, nothing could be said about the safety of the programme.

[nuclearpak]

This man is still stuck in the late 90's, along with Nawaz Sharif.

He is stuck with the nukes, and Nawaz Sharif with Musharraf overthrowing him.

[Tipu-786]

nuclearpak, on 15 September 2012 - 05:37 AM, said:

This man is still stuck in the late 90's, along with Nawaz Sharif.

He is stuck with the nukes, and Nawaz Sharif with Musharraf overthrowing him.

exactly and you stuck with nawaz and AQ Khan ....

[nuclearpak]

Tipu-786, on 15 September 2012 - 06:21 AM, said:

exactly and you stuck with nawaz and AQ Khan ....

Nah, you need not worry about me!

[KudosBot]

PPP denies Dr AQ Khan's claim


ISLAMABAD: Spokesperson of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Farhatullah Babar has strongly rebutted Dr A.Q Khan's assertion that he transferred nuclear materials and technology to two countries on the orders of former prime minister Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.



The assertion of A Q Khan is a belated and desperate attempt to wash the guilt of proliferating nuclear weapons by associating the name of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto to lend a semblance of respectability to a crime that brought huge embarrassment and inflicted incalculable damage on Pakistan, Senator Farhatullah Babar said in a statement here on Saturday.



Farhatullah Babar said that public memory was not so short as to forget the public apology tendered by A.Q Khan on national television in February 2004 in which acknowledging nuclear proliferation and also admitted his guilt thus, "I have much to answer for it".



Expressing "the deepest sense of sorrow, anguish and regret "over what he had done, Dr Khan had also admitted in his infamous TV appearance, "The investigation has established that many of the reported activities did occur and that these were inevitably initiated at my behest".



Senator Farhatullah Babar said that the so-called disclosure by Dr Khan at this point of time was a futile attempt to wash his guilt by seeking to associate Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto in his crime.



It is disgusting that almost a decade later Dr Khan should be seeking to restore his image by seeking to lay the blame at the door of Shaheed Bibi when the latter is no longer alive, Senator Babar said.



But while one may pity the twists and turns of a guilt-laden conscience, it should not be forgotten that the stern laws of nature seldom pause for pity, he added.



He said that Dr. Khan would do well to re-read his February 2004 public statement on national television and remember that the words and sentences he uttered on that fateful day can never be recalled.



Senator Farhatullah Babar said that Dr Khan now owed another public apology; this time to the soul of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and to her innumerable followers and admirers for hurling baseless and unfounded allegations against her. (APP)

http://www.thenews.c...-proliferation?

[KudosBot]

Benazir ordered N-tech transfer: AQ


ISLAMABAD: Benazir Bhutto as prime minister had asked for the transfer of nuclear technology to two countries that she had named, said Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan, the renowned nuclear scientist and father of Pakistan’s atomic bomb, in to an interview he has given to the leading English and Urdu newspapers, The News and Jang.

Responding to different questions, he said that the transfer of nuclear technology was not so easy that one could put it into his pocket and hand it over to another country.

“At least 800 people are used to supervise the process. Benazir summoned me and named the two countries which were to be assisted and issued clear directions in this regard,” Khan said.

“I was not independent but was bound to abide by the orders of the prime minister, hence I did take this step in compliance with her order. The prime minister would have certainly known about the role and co-operation of the two countries, mentioned by her, in our national interest,” he said.

Khan said that Nawaz Sharif, who now claims credit for the nuclear tests and tries to become a hero, was absolutely not ready to conduct the nuclear tests (in 1998) and did not want to do so because of the fear that the US might be annoyed and his government might be threatened.

He said that through some of his aides, who were also his (scientists) friends, Sharif tried to convince him to win international sympathy by staying silent in response to the Indian nuclear tests. “But I made it clear that if he did so, I shall put the facts before the media. After this, Sharif was compelled to conduct the nuclear tests.”

Khan said the delay in the decision by Sharif had paved the way for international pressure on Pakistan. “Had he immediately decided to respond to India, there would have been no time to pressurise Pakistan whereas we had made it clear that we can conduct nuclear tests on a notice of half-an-hour.”

He said today some people were making efforts and even telling lies to claim credit for achieving nuclear capability but they were not being asked whether any country or personality had credited them with the development of the atomic bomb or accepted their status in this regard.

To a question, Khan said he had expectations from Imran Khan but was disappointed after a few meetings with him, as his political thoughts were still immature and those pinning hopes on him would be let down. He opined that Imran does cosmetics politics.

He said Pervez Musharraf presented him before the masses as a criminal to turn him from hero to zero to please the US. He said the military ruler sent to him Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and SM Zafar, who took him to Musharraf. He said Musharraf told him that the US wanted to clamp sanctions on Pakistan’s nuclear programme and for the purpose, Washington was making a justification of the alleged involvement of the Pakistan government in nuclear proliferation and it could get Pakistan declare a terrorist state by raising the issue in the UN Security Council.

“Musharraf paid me glowing tributes, lauded my services for the nuclear programme and requested me that if I accept the responsibility of nuclear proliferation as a personal act, our nuclear programme may be saved and I did the same. But in fact Musharraf wanted to please the US for prolonging his rule and the same happened.”

About the drone attacks in the tribal areas, Khan said these were being carried out with the consent of the political leadership and the military of Pakistan. “The political leadership is responsible for the drone attacks in the tribal areas while the military too cannot be absolved of the responsibility because it swears to protect the soil and frontiers of the country but it is not abiding by its oath by not stopping the drone attacks on the soil of the country. There is no need to order the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) in this regard. If we provide indigenously-developed shoulder-fired small missiles to tribesmen, they will shoot down the drone aircraft. This is wrong to say that drone planes cannot be downed.”

Khan said that only poor and innocent citizens are being killed in attacks by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). He argued that if terrorists were being killed in these attacks, why were their bodies not being shown to the media? He said the US would not withdraw from Afghanistan completely, but would maintain its real strength there.

http://gulftoday.ae/...aaa7f050e.aspx?