The government on Thursday released Dr Farooq, who had been detained over two years ago on charges of helping Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan transfer nuclear technology to foreign countries. Dr Farooq’s son Asim confirmed his father had been released, but refused further details. He added that his father was in good health.A close aide of Dr Khan, Farooq was among 13 Karachi Research Laboratories (KRL) officials detained and questioned about nuclear proliferation. All of them had already been released, except Dr Khan. Sources said Dr Farooq’s house was heavily guarded and no outsider was allowed to meet him. “His telephones are bugged,” they added.
Dr Farooq, the KRLÂ’s former director general procurement, was arrested on November 23, 2003. He had been awarded Hilal-e-Imtiaz and Sitara-e-Imtiaz after Pakistan conducted its first successful nuclear test in 1998. The KRL officials suspected for nuclear proliferation were arrested under Security Act of 1952. The Security Act of 1952 authorises the federal government to keep extending detention by three months. Relatives of the detained scientists and other KRL officials had approached the Supreme Court for their release. Major General Shaukat Sultan neither confirmed nor denied Dr FarooqÂ’s release.