May 03, 2006
 

AQ Khan is let off

Pakistan's announcement about considering the case against Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan as being 'closed' is irresponsible, shocking, and entirely predictable. It merely provides a final act to the clean chit he received earlier this year.

Given the way Iran has increased the stakes on its nuclear ambitions, the admission last year by a Pakistani minister that AQ Khan sold centrifuge technology to Iran is proof of Pakistan's refusal to acknowledge the role played by the government and military establishments in the nuclear blackmarket, where China features prominently as well, despite it being a signatory to the NPT.

Pakistan has consistently rejected any attempts by the IAEA etc. to directly interact with the metallurgist. It has successfully stalled the investigation thanks mainly to the US government's willingness (or convenient 'incompetence'?) to not step up the heat on the proliferation issue as long as Pakistan helped with capturing Osama bin Laden.

The nuclear agreement between India & the US perhaps lends credence to the belief that Pakistan's proliferation record effectively ensured that India would benefit more when it came to nuclear co-operation.

Pervez Musharraf's comments in 2004 about how he knew all about it but had no proof, which is why he had to pardon Khan for he knew not what he was doing, were a complete load of bullcrap.

This issue can not be considered closed by India, the IAEA, the US and the other signatories to the NPT. Tough questions must be asked and answers extracted. The carrot approach has obviously not worked. It is now time for the stick to be used.

Labels: aq khan, iran, musharraf, pakistan, proliferation