The Hindu : Pakistan frees nuclear scientists

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jan 22, 2004

International

International

Pakistan frees nuclear scientists

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, JAN. 21. Pakistan has freed three nuclear scientists and officials detained for questioning over nuclear proliferation allegations.

The Pakistan Information Minister, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, told correspondents here that the three have been released after the first round of "de-briefing" sessions that have been going on since the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) shared information about the clandestine nuclear programme of Iran.

The Minister said nine scientists and officials would be "de-briefed" in the second round which is expected to be completed in a week's time. The IAEA letter to Pakistan in November obviously related to alleged cooperation from Pakistani scientists and officials involved in the nuclear programme.

Mr. Rashid conceded that Abdul Qadeer Khan, known as the father of Pakistan's nuclear bomb, and two directors of the key uranium-enrichment plant Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) were questioned. However, no further details are known.

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