|
|
 |
 |
 |
| Saturday, 13 December 2003 |
 |
|
 |
World | |
| News Business Features Editorial Security Politics World Letters Sports Obituaries
|
Two Pakistani nuclear scientists detained ISLAMABAD, Friday (AFP) Two Pakistani nuclear scientists have been detained amid reports they had been involved in transferring technology to Iran, opposition politicians and local media said. Farooq Muhammad, director of Pakistan's key uranium enrichment facility Kahuta Research Laboratories (KRL), and a KRL laboratory director, Yasin Chohan, were arrested this month, the reports said. "They have been arrested and are under detention," opposition senator Ishaq Dar, of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, told AFP. "I say this with full responsibility on the basis of credible information." Local Urdu-language newspaper Jinnah reported that caucasian men wearing bullet-proof jackets had arrested Farooq at his home in Rawalpindi, near Islamabad. It said Chohan was also taken from his home. A government spokesman refused to confirm whether the two men were in detention. A foreign ministry statement said nuclear scientists routinely underwent "personnel dependability and debriefing programs". The government rejected local media reports that the two men were connected to alleged transfers of nuclear technology to Iran. "There are reports about many sources from where Iran could have obtained nuclear technology, including several Western companies and individuals. The focus should be on checking out with those sources," the foreign ministry said. The PML-N party said it believed the two men were being held by US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents. "According to our information, the FBI is holding Director General Dr Farooq and Laboratory Director Yasin Chohan with the assistance of Pakistani agencies," said a party statement, condemning the arrests. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
Produced by Lake House |
