Pakistani nuclear scientist denies transfer of technology
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Islamabad, Oct 17, IRNA
Pakistan-Nuclear Scientist
Father of Pakistan's nuclear program Abdul Qadeer Khan has denied transfer of nuclear secrets to any country and said authorities forced him to make a confessional statement through state-run television.
Khan has been under house arrest since February 2004 after he was produced on PTV to make a statement that he has transferred nuclear technology to other countries.
Khan in a written statement submitted in the Islamabad High Court by his lawyer also denied that he had made statements in media against the national interests.
"I have not transferred nuclear secrets outside Pakistan and I had made statement on PTV for the sake of the country," said Khan, who is still regarded as hero in Pakistan.
"A military dictator, while making fake promises of national security, forced me to make confessional statement on PTV. The dictator had assured me that I would be a hero in any case," Khan said.
"I was told that we are doing this only to show to the Americans only and I would be free after three to four months," he recalled.
"The four-month promise prolonged upto four-and-half-year," the nuclear scientist said.
"Former President Musharraf used official media and paid press to indulge in my character assassination," Khan said.
He said that despite the statement on the sate-run television he was put under house arrest.
In the letter, Khan said that Europeans had been involved in transfer of nuclear technology.
Top Pakistani nuclear scientist accused the government of not allowing him a free movement.
Khan said that he wanted to meet people freely but the authorities are keeping him in illegal confinement.
"The present situation has put me under house arrest for life time and all this was done by a military dictator, and now his stooges in SPD/ISI (Strategic Plan Division) and (Inter-Services Intelligence) still subjecting my life into illegal house arrest", he said in the letter.
"I request full freedom of movement, meeting people, going out with my family, visiting various educational; and welfare institution which I have set up in various parts of the country", A. Q. Khan said.
A single-member bench of Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Aslam heard the review petition filed by his defence lawyer M Javed Iqbal Jafferi against the detention of Khan and the court reserved the judgment.
Jafferi requested the court to declare that Abdul Qadeer is a free person and it is the duty of the government to provide him security.
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