PPP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has said the architect of Pakistanâs atomic bomb Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan was âcovering upâ by publicly confessing to transferring nuclear technology to other countries for President General Pervez Musharraf. Former Premier Benazir feared that Khanâs life could be in danger âbecause he knows too much about the people who ordered him to export nuclear technology,â she told BBC on Sunday.
| Wot? His life in danger? Who'da thunkit? |
âWe think that General Musharraf has endangered our nuclear assets and our countryâs reputation by involving himself in the export of nuclear technology and he has no business to remain in power,â she said, adding âpeople in my country think that Dr Khan is being made a scapegoat and they believe that he is being kept under arrest and he could even be killed to silence him forever because he knows too much about the people who ordered him to export nuclear technology.â She further said âI know Dr Khan and I found it very hard to believe that he could have exported nuclear technology on his own. One person could not do it because of the enormous security.â
| That's today's statement of the obvious... |
Meanwhile, in a separate interview with ARY television channel, Benazir Bhutto said India and Israel too have nuclear technology but they do not export this to other countries. Asked as to what she would do if she had been the Prime Minister of Pakistan, she replied âWe would not have exported our nuclear secrets to others. There was no need to transfer this to North Korea or Libya,â she added.
| She could be telling the truth. That's probably why they never told her about what they were doing. Why take the chance she is? |
She further said it is being said that briefcases full of money were flown to Pakistan from a country, asking âwho did take that money and who will be held accountable for this?â
| Have you checked the pockets of the generals, especially the really, really devout ones? |
âPakistan has been betrayed and it is a major setback for the country,â she said and added âI think that it is a major incident after the East Pakistan tragedy.â She further said on the one hand General Musharraf declares that Pakistan has effective nuclear command and control system while on the other he says that a scientist can individually sell nuclear secrets to others, alleging âGeneral Musharraf has mishandled the (nuclear) issue.â
| Ummm... Benazir doesn't have a lot of room for criticism... |
She regretted that Dr Khan is still in detention and he was threatened and compelled to confess to transferring nuclear technology to other countries. âHe was told that he will be pardoned if he makes a confessional statement. Through a confessional statement by Dr Khan, we have conveyed to the international community that our nuclear command and control system is not much effective, that an individual indulged in this practice,â she said, adding this has given a wrong message to the world that âwe make thieves our heroes.'â
| I get it more as you lionize thieves. |
She further said âI do not agree with the reports that Dr Khan acted on his own. I believe that the General ordered him to (make a confessional statement). The General has endangered our nuclear programme and should be held accountable for mishandling the nuke issue,â she added. |