Pervez Musharraf ‘approved’ sale of atomic weapons to North Korea

Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan, who has lived under house arrest since 2004 when he confessed to selling nuclear technology to Iran, Libya and North Korea, has said for the first time that Pakistan’s army was involved in his proliferation ring.

“It was a North Korean plane, and the army had complete knowledge about it and the equipment,” he said, describing the shipment of used P-1 centrifuges needed to manufacture highly enriched uranium.

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“It must have gone with his [Mr Musharraf's] consent.”

The explosive accusation has been swiftly denied by Pakistan’s president.

“I can say with full confidence that it is all lies and false statements,” said Mr Musharraf’s spokesman Rashid Qureshi.

• A d v e r t i s e m e n t

The shipment took place in 2000, a year after Mr Musharraf took power in a military coup d’etat.

Dr Khan had originally said that he alone was responsible for Pakistan’s proliferation.

However, he has since retracted this confession, which he says was made to protect other Pakistani officials.

Full article here.