Pakistan denies aiding Iran nuclear weapons drive
World News
Aug 5, 2003
ISLAMABAD - Pakistan on Tuesday denied a U.S. newspaper report this week which said it shared expertise with Iran that could help Tehran develop nuclear weapons.
A statement from the Foreign Ministry did not name the report, but the Los Angeles Times said on Monday Iran appeared to be in the late stages of building a nuclear bomb and had sought help from scientists from countries including Pakistan.
The story cited a confidential report by the French government in May it said concluded Iran was "surprisingly close" to having enriched uranium or plutonium for a bomb.
Iran has consistently denied it has plans to build nuclear weapons and has said its program is for peaceful civilian use.
The story also quoted a Middle Eastern intelligence official as saying Pakistan's role in helping Iran develop a nuclear programme was "bigger from the beginning than we thought."
"The spokesman termed it (the report) as completely false, irresponsible and obviously motivated," the ministry statement said.
"Pakistan's commitments, affirmed at the highest level, that it would not export any sensitive technologies to third countries remains unquestionable.
"Pakistan has a strong export control regime in place. Pakistan's record in this regard is impeccable," it added.
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf is a key ally in the U.S.-led war on terror, but the country is under pressure from Washington amid allegations it helped North Korea make materials needed for a nuclear arms project in return for missile parts.
In March, the United States imposed commercial sanctions on Khan Research Laboratories, once headed by revered Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, because it arranged a transfer of North Korean missiles to Pakistan.
Pakistan has also strongly denied reports it helped Pyongyang develop a nuclear arms programme.
Tuesday's statement said Khan, dubbed the father of Pakistan's nuclear bomb, had "never set foot in Iran or ever met with any Iranian nuclear experts".
The L.A. Times had said Khan travelled "frequently" to Iran to share his nuclear expertise.
"Such reports appear part of a malicious campaign against Pakistan's consistent and established record of safeguarding its sensitive nuclear technology and ensuring that this technology was not transferred by any organisation or individual to any other country," the Pakistan foreign ministry said.
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