Pak Government may file appeal against Dr Khan's release

Islamabad, Feb 9 (ANI): The Pakistan Government is considering filing an appeal against Islamabad High Court's verdict declaring disgraced nuclear scientist Dr A. Q. Khan a 'free citizen'.

Government sources said on Sunday that the court decision might be challenged because of concerns expressed by the United States and the United Kingdom over the 'release' of Dr Khan.

Earlier, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that the government reserved the right to file an appeal against the court's decision, the Dawn reported.

Qureshi said that Dr Khan had already been relieved of his duties and he had nothing to do with the country's nuclear-related policies.

"Dr Khan has already been detained and now he is not in a position to influence or exert any pressure," he said.

The network of Dr Khan did not exist any more and he had no access to country's sensitive information or policy-making institutions, he added.

The Foreign Minister said Dr Khan was not in a position to formulate or influence a policy. Pakistan was a responsible state and the world was satisfied with measures taken by it, he said.

He said that the countries engaged in proliferation matters knew very well that Pakistan had a satisfactory nuclear command and control structure and there was no possibility of any takeover by extremists or non-state actors.

Dr A. Q. Khan was put under detention in 2004 following revelation about his alleged role in an international proliferation network and his own confession on the state-run television, in which he sought people's forgiveness.

However, the nuclear scientist later took the position that he had been forced by General Pervez Musharraf to make such a confession, but the government continued to maintain that he had spearheaded the gang that had supplied centrifuges, other equipment and information to Iran, Libya and North Korea. (ANI)