Musharraf fears sanctions over nuke data proliferation
ISLAMABAD, Feb. 5 Kyodo
President Gen. Pervez Musharraf on Thursday expressed fears that Pakistan may face sanctions and its vital national interests may be in jeopardy if the government and the military were found to be involved in proliferation of nuclear secrets.
He told reporters that the matter may be referred to the United Nations Security Council which may be prompted to slap sanctions on Pakistan, similar to those imposed on Libya, Iran and North Korea.
Musharraf also said that Pakistan may be pressurized to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.
It is also possible that Pakistan may be declared ”a rogue state” and its vital national interest may be endangered, he said. ”This is not the time to be sentimental and do politicking.”
He alleged that besides Pakistan, Malaysia and several European countries have been involved in nuclear proliferation activities and that Dubai has become a center for the proliferators from all over the world.
Asked if nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan’s admission that he had leaked nuclear secrets to Iran, Libya and North Korea would jeopardize the resumption of Japanese economic aid to Pakistan, Musharraf said Japan and other countries know that only individuals have been responsible for such nuclear proliferation activities.
Musharraf noted that Pakistan moved quickly after the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency found centrifuges in Iran to be based on Pakistani design and asked Pakistan to investigate.
He confirmed that the centrifuges found in Iran were based on Pakistani design.
Khan, the founder of the nation’s nuclear program, is alleged to have sold uranium enrichment technology to North Korea, Iran and Libya.
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