Former top Pakistani nuclear scientist and proliferator Abdul Qadeer Khan refused to comment on a letter in which he allegedly detailed his government's involvement in spreading nuclear materials and knowledge to Iran, North Korea and Libya, the Indo-Asian News Service reported today (see GSN, Sept. 24).
(Sep. 25) -
Former Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, shown waving at his residence in February, recently declined to discuss a letter that he allegedly wrote on his nuclear proliferation activities (Aamir Qureshi/Getty Images).
The 2004 letter was first reported this week in the London Times.
"I cannot comment on the report of [the] Sunday Times because I have so far not gone through it," Khan said in remarks published by Dawn yesterday.
He refused to answer any questions on the nuclear smuggling ring he confessed to leading in 2004, stating that the case was awaiting further judicial action.
"I have become tired of clarifying my position, but I know that this is an unending controversy," he added (Indo-Asian News Service/Hindustan Times, Sept. 25).
Meanwhile, the U.S. Senate yesterday passed a bill that would link future Pakistani military aid to the country's efforts to crack down on terror groups and organizations trafficking in nuclear weapon-related materials, the Associated Press reported. The House of Representatives could vote on the legislation today (Matthew Lee, Associated Press/Google News, Sept. 24).