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Prove charges on KRL: Pak.

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD APRIL 1. Pakistan has asked the United States to substantiate its charges that the largest nuclear facility in the country had helped an unnamed "foreign country, person or entity'' acquire or develop weapons of mass destruction.

"We reject the charges made by the American administration,'' the Pakistan Foreign Minister, Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, told reporters. He asserted that Pakistan's nuclear programme was purely for defence purposes and "we are not involved in any kind of such proliferation.''

The issue came to light when the Pakistan Foreign Office issued a statement on Saturday describing the decision of the U.S. to impose a two-year trade ban on the Kahuta Research Laboratories (KRL), a private uranium enrichment plant, as `unjust'. Islamabad had accused Washington of being unfair on the ground that similar action has not been taken on the activity in the neighbouring country.

The U.S. Embassy here on Monday confirmed that the two-year trade ban on the KRL was connected to its alleged help to North Korea in nuclear matters. However, there were no details about the nature of help. Diplomatic observers here believe that the U.S. charge though related to a private firm is a very serious one. However, what has intrigued every one here is the timing.

There have been allegations centered around the KRL for several months now and a section of the American media has written extensively on the subject.

The President, Pervez Musharraf, had vehemently denied the charges. The subject had obviously figured in the course of conversation between Gen. Musharraf and the U.S. Secretary of State, Colin Powell, as the later had gone on record to state that he has `400 per cent assurance' from Pakistan that there was no proliferation.The KRL is named after A.Q. Khan, scientist, considered as the father of Pakistan's nuclear programme. The decision communicated by Washington to Islamabad last week provoked a sharp reaction from the Pakistan Foreign Office. Pakistan maintained that the decision to ban supplies would have no `material impact', but at the same called it unjust and sought, in an obvious reference to India, an `even handed' approach.

The Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman reiterated on Monday that the U.S. decision to stop trade with the KRL for a period of two years would have no material impact either on the KRL "which had never depended on foreign assistance, nor our determination to pursue our indigenous missile programme.''

The spokesman said during dialogue with the U.S. on security issues, Pakistan had pointed out to the U.S. that, according to its own admission, missile proliferation activities were going on in one of "our neighboring countries.'' Perhaps the reference is to India.

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