A Q Khan transferred centrifuges to North Korea, says Musharraf

In February 2004, Khan, regarded as the father of Pakistan’s nuclear programme, had confessed to having supplied nuclear technology and know-how to North Korea, Libya and Iran. He was subsequently pardoned by the President but has been under virtual house arrest here since then.

Musharraf said Khan could not have been of immense help to North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme as his laboratory was engaged in uranium enrichment and not in other steps needed to make a nuke, such as conversion of uranium into gas and development of a trigger mechanism and delivery system.

‘‘So if North Korea has made a bomb… Dr A Q Khan’s part is only enriching the uranium to weapons grade. He does not know about making the bomb, he does not know about the trigger mechanism, he does not know about the delivery system,’’ Musharraf said.

If the North Koreans have acquired such a bomb-making capability, they ‘‘must have got it themselves or somewhere else—not from Pakistan,’’ he was quoted as saying. Musharraf said he became suspicious of Khan’s activities long before the scientist was removed as head of the Khan Research Laboratory in March 2001.

The General also rejected media reports that Khan had bartered uranium enrichment secrets for North Korean help in Pakistan’s programme to develop the medium-range Ghauri missile, believed to be an improved version of Pyongyang’s Rodong missile.

He also said Khan made three trips to Mali between 1998 and 2000 to meet Libyan officials interested in procuring uranium technology from Pakistan.