Revoking Khan pardon a likely option: Powell

Ahead of his visit to Pakistan next week, US Secretary of State Colin Powell told the National Public Radio that the amnesty given by President Pervez Musharraf to Dr A.Q. Khan was conditional which ‘‘can be taken away’’, and he will let the Pakistani government determine what else should be done with the top scientist for proliferating nuclear technology.

He was responding to the interviewer’s suggestion that there are questions about why the US did not come down harder on Pakistan for the actions of Khan. ‘‘No, we did not ignore it at all. He was, perhaps, the biggest proliferator ever. He is not anymore. I do not think that Dr Khan is enjoying the position he is in,’’ he added. —(PTI)