Musharraf rejects inspection of nuclear sites
Islamabad, Zul-Hijjah 27, 1424 AH, Thursday, February 19, 2004
Islamabad—President General Pervez Musharraf said that Pakistan would under no circumstances permit foreign inspectors to enter the country and monitor its nuclear weapons or civil nuclear facilities.
“This is a very sensitive issue ... Would any other nuclear power allow its sensitive installations to be inspected? Why should Pakistan be expected to allow anybody to inspect?” he said in an interview with the Financial Times.
President Musharraf said “We are not hiding anything — what is the need of any inspection? What for?” he said, “We will co-operate with any organisation, the International Atomic Energy Agency, or any body. But don’t treat us as if we do not know what we are doing.
We are doing everything according to international standards,” he said.
Musharraf said Pakistan’s investigation into A. Q. Khan’s proliferation ring had not uncovered any evidence that other countries had received nuclear secrets from Pakistan.
To a question President Musharraf denied that nuclear weapons technology had been exchanged for North Korean ballistic missile technology.
“Whatever we bought from North Korea is with money,” he said.
Gen Musharraf said Pakistan had no intention of freezing its nuclear weapons programme. It was self-sufficient and would not require the import of more material or designs from abroad.
“We will never stop our nuclear and missile programme,” he said.
“That is our vital national interest. It is totally indigenous now. Whatever had to be imported and procured has been obtained.”
President Musharraf said Pakistan would not try to match India’s nuclear weapons development but said that in the next few weeks it would test-fire its Shaheen II, a missile with a range of 2,000 km.
“We are not interested in competing with India,” he said. “If they want to reach 5,000 km or have intercontinental ballistic missiles, we are not interested in those. We are only interested in our own defence,” he added.
President Musharraf said that A.Q.Khan was a personal hero and a hero to the nation for having provided Pakistan with its nuclear deterrent.
“I have been meeting Dr. A.Q.Khan ... I have had dinners with him and I held him in the highest esteem. Who in Pakistan did not hold him in high esteem,” he said.
Gen Musharraf said A.Q.Khan and his six associates had acted without official authorisation or knowledge.
He said Pakistan’s nuclear programme is not under the aegis of the military.
“No sir, it [Pakistan’s nuclear programme] is not, under the aegis of the military. It never was and it is not now,” Musharraf said.
“We have a [Nuclear National Command Authority with the president as the boss and there are a number of ministers - all the stakeholders - and the military men also. This is not a military body, it is the highest body of the nation.”
President Musharraf reiterated that he had heard nothing of A.Q.Khan’s nuclear smuggling since he became Pakistan’s military chief in 1998 and its ruler in 1999.
“I believe in the army dictum that a commander is responsible for all that happens or does not happen in his command - and to that extent any president is responsible for what happens in the country,” he said.
“But otherwise, if you are hinting at my direct responsibility, no not at all. I do read in some newspapers some aspersions being cast... it is all nonsense,” Musharraf added.
Musharraf explained in detail why it was quite plausible that A.Q.Khan and his accomplices had managed to smuggle nuclear designs past extensive security checks.
“It is an unfortunate reality when the boss of an institution himself is involved,” he said.
“If there was a security problem here (at Gen Musharraf’s office) and if myself am involved in the breach, do you think anyone is going to check me? I am free to go anywhere, I can take anything in my car, I can take anything in my briefcase.”
President Musharraf said the Pakistan investigators had not, established that A.Q Khan had smuggled anything other than designs for centrifuges.
He said the investigation, which is not yet completed had not so far found that A. Q Khan had transferred designs for nuclear weapons or more bulky material.
“What is in a design?” he said, “It is a piece of paper you put in your pocket, or it sits on the computer. For that matter I would say it is in the mind of the man. You do not have to carry it if you know it yourself.”
Musharraf said “A.Q Khan has written that he will never be involved in these activities again - proliferation activation - that he regrets all that he has done, that he’s not going to get involved in anything of this sort. If he breaches that, certainly the pardon will be revoked.”—APP