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Allow US intelligence to question Khan: Pallone
Pallone has urged Musharraf to allow US to question Qadeer Khan about his role in nuclear proliferation.
US Congressman Frank Pallone has urged Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf to allow American intelligence agencies to question scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan about his role in nuclear proliferation.
In a letter to Musharraf on Wednesday, Pallone said: "I am writing to you today because I am concerned that you are not permitting further inquiry into this situation and, in particular, that you are refusing to allow US intelligence agencies to directly question Khan."
Pallone's request followed media reports alleging that Khan not only sold nuclear equipment to North Korea, Iran and Libya but also visited a secret underground nuclear plant in North Korea.
"This is extremely disconcerting on a number of levels, namely because the US is missing many critical details due to Pakistan's withholding of information and, more specifically, proof of whether or not the nuclear exchange took place beyond North Korea, Iran and Libya," Pallone said in his letter.
The New Jersey congressman said despite the fact that Pakistan has been declared an ally in the global war on terror, its nuclear behaviour exemplifies just the opposite.
Although Pakistan had provided the US and its Asian allies some information regarding the nuclear transfers, American officials believe the Pakistani government was withholding critical information.
In his letter, Pallone expressed concerns that there were still no safeguards in place to prevent further nuclear assistance from Pakistan to rogue nations that do not have an agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
"In addition, because your government is failing to comply with the US in its investigation, I believe the US Department of State should work with the United Nations and appropriate agencies to enter Pakistan and monitor its nuclear program," Pallone said in the letter.
"UN supervision is necessary in order to ensure that Pakistan is no longer capable of allowing nuclear information to fall into the wrong hands and in order to ensure that the US can adequately conduct an investigation into the illegal actions of Khan by serving as a nuclear resource to rogue nations," he added.
Pallone, who is a prominent member of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, has also expressed his disappointment with Musharraf's pardon of Khan and his declaration that the scientist remains a national hero.
Khan, known as the father of the Pakistani atomic bomb, has told Pakistani officials that he began discussions with North Korea about the production of nuclear weapons back in the late 1980's, and then began nuclear equipment shipments in the late 1990's.
