Delivery Of Nuke Equipment To N. Korea Had Musharraf's Nod, Khan Claims

July 4, 2008 7:09 p.m. EST

Islamabad, Pakistan (AHN) - Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan said Friday that President Pervez Musharraf and the military knew about the transport of uranium enrichment equipment to North Korea in 2000.

"It was a North Korean plane, and the army had complete knowledge about it and the equipment. It must have gone with his (Musharraf's) consent," Khan told Kyodo News, writing in response to the Japanese news agency's questions.

Khan's statement is contrary to his confession in 2004 that he was solely responsible for sharing Pakistani nuclear technology to Iran, North Korea and Libya. His statement also contradicts pronouncements by Pakistan's military and government that it did not know about Khan's nuclear proliferation activities.

Musharraf's spokesman, Rashid Qureshi, defended the president by describing Khan's statement as lies and false.

Although Musharraf pardoned Khan after his 2004 confession, the scientist and national hero has been under house arrest in Islamabad. Khan's wife is challenging the detention in court while he is starting to speak more to the media.