Disgraced Pakistani scientist A Q Khan's illegal nuclear proliferation activities are once again set to attract world attention as a fresh dossier with some startling revelations on his network has been prepared by a leading UK-based think tank that will "unleash a new storm" for Islamabad.
The International Institute for Strategic Studies' (IISS) document titled "Nuclear black markets: Pakistan, AQ Khan and the rise of proliferation networks: A new assessment" says the "case" of Pakistan's alleged involvement in proliferation of nuclear weapons technology was not yet closed.
The dossier has explored the question whether Khan, currently under house arrest, sold the designs of nuclear weapons to North Korea, Libya and Iran.
Islamabad Apr 28 - Disgraced Pakistani scientist A Q Khan's illegal nuclear proliferation activities are once again set to attract world attention as a fresh dossier with some startling revelations on his network has been prepared by a leading UK-based think tank that will "unleash a new storm" for Islamabad.
The International Institute for Strategic Studies' (IISS) document titled "Nuclear black markets: Pakistan, AQ Khan and the rise of proliferation networks: A new assessment" says the "case" of Pakistan's alleged involvement in proliferation of nuclear weapons technology was not yet closed.
The dossier has explored the question whether Khan, currently under house arrest, sold the designs of nuclear weapons to North Korea, Libya and Iran.
He "apparently offered (the same) to Iraq", Dawn quoted the dossier as saying.
Stating that the technology that Khan and his associates sold to North Korea and Iran had sparked crises that continued to threaten international security, the IISS announcement further said the dossier, which would be released next week, would provide a compelling history of "the global enterprise run by A Q Khan".
"The dossier details how Pakistan developed a nuclear weapons capability in ten years after Khan brought stolen technology for the enrichment of uranium from the Netherlands.
"Though the Pakistani government put Khan out of business and reformed its nuclear command and control mechanisms, many people consider that the case is not yet closed," it said.
Stating that the dossier will "unleash a new storm for Pakistan, 'The News' daily quoted sources as saying that a genuinely panicky government was trying hard to get clues about this new research paper beforehand.
"It wanted to prepare itself in advance to face the international media about many of the startling points raised in the new findings about the AQ Khan network that, according to one claim made in this research paper, was spread over three continents," the daily said.
The arrest and public confession of Khan in 2004 confirmed the existence of a global proliferation network which had, over almost two decades, provided nuclear technology, expertise, and designs to countries.
The IISS has now claimed that Khan was not the only nuclear arms merchant and Pakistan was not the only country implicated in his shadowy network.
It spanned three continents and eluded both national and international systems of export controls that had been designed to prevent illicit trade.
This highlighted concerns that nuclear technology is no longer the monopoly of the industrially advanced countries, but possibly can be purchased off-the-shelf by both states and terrorist groups.
It has been claimed that the IISS dossier provides a comprehensive assessment of the Pakistani nuclear programme from which Khan's network emerged, the networks proliferation activities, and the illicit trade in fissile materials. In addition, the dossier provides an overview of the clandestine nuclear procurement activities of other states.
The IISS is the world's leading authority on political-military conflict.
