'Pak Govt imposed restrictions on AQ Khan'
Pakistan government has imposed restrictions on the disgraced nuclear scientist A Q Khan though he has been released from the house arrest, a top US intelligence official has said.
“There are restrictions on him (Khan) imposed by the (Pakistani) government,” Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair told the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence during an open hearing.
Responding to a question from Anna Eshood, Democratic Congressman from California, Blair said these restrictions primarily involve insuring that Khan is not connected to the network that he used before for the proliferation activities.
“But he’s not a head of a laboratory, which is in the business that he was in before,” Blair said, adding details of his proliferation network could be given in a close session only. Congresswoman Eshood said she was “shocked and appalled” when A Q Khan’s release from house arrest was announced.
Khan, who was released early this month after spending four years under house arrest, has been accused of sharing nuclear knowhow with countries like North Korea, Iran and Libya. Last month, the US had slapped sanctions on Khan and those involved in his network.
When Eshood asked whether Khan still pose a proliferation threat in the eyes of the intelligence community, Blair said answer to these questions could be given in a closed door session.
Less time to read?
Try Quickreads
-
Padma bridge to be inaugurated by Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina. Details here
The Padma bridge across the river of the same name in Bangladesh will be inaugurated by Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina today. According to reports by local news outlet The Daily Star, 'thousands have started joining a mammoth rally since early morning...' and the gathering wears a 'festive look... with colourful banners... singing songs and dancing'. Around 3,000 eminent people have been invited to the inauguration, the Daily Star report said.
-
Google doodle honours Holocuast victim Anne Frank
Tech giant Google on Saturday honoured Holocaust victim Anne Frank and commemorated the 75th anniversary of the publication of her memoir, 'The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank' by a doodle video. The doodle shows real excerpts from her diary, which describes what she and her friends and family experienced in hiding for over two years from the Nazi rule. Anne Frank was born on June 12, 1929 in Frankfurt, Germany.
-
Pak asks universities to encourage drinks like ‘Lassi’, ‘Sattu’. Here's why
Pakistan's higher education commission has now suggested a novel way to cut expenditure on the import of tea. The HEC says the move will not only increase employment, but also generate income for the public amid the ongoing economic crisis in the country. One of the suggested measures include promoting local tea plantations and also locally manufactured and healthy drinks like 'lassi' and 'sattu'. Pakistan is facing a severe economic crisis in recent times.
-
US abortion ruling sparks global debate, polarises activists
The end of constitutional protections for abortions in the United States on Friday emboldened abortion opponents around the world, while advocates for abortion rights worried it could threaten recent moves toward legalization in their countries. “I trust that with this ruling it will be possible to abolish abortion in the United States and throughout the world,” said anti-abortion president of Fundacion Vida SV, campaigner Sara Larin.
-
Democrats vow to help women who must travel for abortions
Democratic leaders across the nation vowed Friday to help women who travel to seek abortions and to shield patients and medical professionals from being pursued by authorities in states where the procedure becomes outlawed after the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. On the West Coast, the Democratic governors of California, Washington and Oregon issued a joint “multi-state commitment,” saying they will work together to defend patients and care providers.
