Government to explain curbs on nuke scientist

Islamabad: A high court on Tuesday asked the federal government to explain the restrictions on nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan regarding meeting relatives and receiving medical attention.

The Lahore High Court, which is hearing a petition from A.Q. Khan, ordered the needed medical attention be immediately provided to the scientist.

The court upheld that despite an existing agreement on security protocol for A.Q. Khan he cannot be banned from meeting his relatives and getting medical attention.

Khan's counsel Ali Zafar told the court that the federal government was not implementing the security agreement and his client is practically living under house arrest in Islamabad.

The court directed the government to give its explanation at the next hearing of the case on February 19.

A.Q. Khan, known as father of Pakistan's nuclear bomb, fell from grace in February 2004 after he admitted on state television during the regime of military ruler Pervez Musharraf that he had passed on nuclear secrets to Libya, Iran and North Korea.