THE WHOLE world now knows that the Pakistani bomb was planned at Pakistani Army’s General Headquarters at Rawalpindi and built by the international black market ring of AQ Khan and not in the laboratories of Kahuta Research Laboratories. Pakistan had set a new model of nuclear proliferation without an industrial or scientific base. Pakistan had demonstrated that it is possible to acquire various industrial components and assemble them to make a bomb.
This was a wake up call to the whole world. As a result since 1998 a 45-country Nuclear Supplier Group has been formed who monitor and control all nuclear-related supplies and technology in the world.
By mid-Nineties India had tested its long range nuclear capable ‘Agni’ missile. To match India, Pakistan was searching for a long-range missile. North Korea had such a missile named ‘No Dong’ and the related technology. It was in turn looking for nuclear bomb-making technology. Within no time, AQ Khan was in North Korea and nuke to missile transfer deal was struck between Pakistan and North Korea. Pakistan’s much tom-tomed ‘Ghauri’ missile is actually the ‘No Dong’ missile obtained from North Korea painted with Pakistani colors.
When confronted with this irrefutable evidence by the US, with American media demanding an Iraq type of action against Pakistan, a shaken Musharraf disowned all responsibility. He promptly blamed AQ Khan for selling these secrets. Khan was put under house arrest in early 2003 and investigations started against him.
{{/usCountry}}When confronted with this irrefutable evidence by the US, with American media demanding an Iraq type of action against Pakistan, a shaken Musharraf disowned all responsibility. He promptly blamed AQ Khan for selling these secrets. Khan was put under house arrest in early 2003 and investigations started against him.
{{/usCountry}}Despite American request to be co-opted in the ongoing investigations it was not agreed upon by Musharraf. America had to be satisfied with permanent dismantling of the AQ Khan’s black market ring and the network. Khan on his part owned up that he had passed on these secrets to these countries. Musharraf then promptly pardoned him citing the fact that he was a national icon and any punishment given to him will bring Islamists in the streets of Pakistan in protest and Musharraf’s own position will become untenable.
It is very evident that Khan has taken all blame on himself and has given a clean chit to Musharraf to save his own life. If the Washington Post editorial of 4 Feb. 04 is to be believed, Khan had told investigators that Musharraf, Benazir Bhutto, Ex. Army chief Karamat and Aslem Beg were all involved in this large scale nuclear proliferation by Pakistan. This stands to reason because with all Pakistani nuclear installations so well guarded by the Pakistani Army, leave aside large centrifuge machines which Pakistan has siphoned off to various countries, not even a bolt can leave these premises unless officially permitted. Besides when nuke to bomb deal was struck with North Korea General Parvez Musharraf had already taken over as Army Chief in early 1998.
There is another angle to all these murky activities of Pakistan. It is quite possible that Professor AQ Khan was only a decoy to divert international attention from the real people involved. First AQ Khan was a metallurgist and not a nuclear scientist. His Kahuta Research Laboratories was only responsible for enrichment of fissile material to nuclear grade material.
This is just one step of the 24 steps needed to make a nuclear bomb. The other 23 functions were performed under the duo of Dr. Samar Mubarikmand and Dr. Ashfaq Ahmed, both of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC). When AQ Khan was retired from KRL under American pressure in 2001, Dr. Samar Mubarikmand was also packed off from PAEC. However the very next day Musharraf made him head of National Defence Council in effect a promotion.
After the commencement of nuke to missile deal between North Korea and Pakistan, Kim Sin Ae the wife of the North Korean Economic Counsellor was killed in Islamabad in early 2000. American intelligence believes that she was killed because she was defecting to Britain with Pakistan and North Korea nuclear secrets. Reportedly a prototype of nuclear centrifuge was smuggled with her coffin to North Korea.
A major ramification of this nuclear proliferation of Pakistan has yet to unfold. It has been authentically reported that in 2001 Pakistani nuclear scientists had met Al Quida leadership including Osama Bin Laden. At that time an Arabic newspaper Al-Hayat had reported that Al Quida has acquired an unspecified number of dirty bombs of the size of a suitcase, which have been hidden in a safe place. These could be exploded in mainland America or elsewhere. US Media Foreign Policy Analyst Daniel Snyder believes that this could well be possible.