World | Pakistan
Musharraf 'okayed North Korea centrifuges'
Pakistan delivered centrifuges to North Korea in 2000 under the supervision of the army, said nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, suggesting that it must have been sent with the consent of President Pervez Musharraf.
- Agencies
- Published: 23:40 July 4, 2008
Islamabad: Pakistan delivered centrifuges to North Korea in 2000 under the supervision of the army, said nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, suggesting that it must have been sent with the consent of President Pervez Musharraf.
In a telephone interview, Khan said: "It was a North Korean plane, and the army had complete knowledge about it and the equipment. It must have gone with his [Musharraf's] consent." Khan's claims contradict his 2004 confession that he was solely responsible for spreading nuclear technology to Iran, North Korea and Libya - and Pakistan's repeated denials its army or government knew about Khan's nuclear proliferation activities.
Musharraf's spokesman, Rashid Qureshi, rejected Khan's claims. "I can say with full confidence that it is all lies and false statements," he said. Army and Foreign Ministry spokesmen declined to give immediate comment yesterday.
Khan, placed under house arrest in 2004, was allowed to meet his lawyer yesterday for the first time since his detention.
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