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Dr Khan tells Islamabad HC - "Musharraf told me to confess to N-proliferation role"

Islamabad, Oct 17 ANI: Disgraced Pakistan nuclear scientist Dr AQ Khan has told the Islamabad High Court IHC that the former president Pervez Musharaf had "persuaded" him to make the "confession" about his role in nuclear proliferation in the name of "national interest", and on the promise that they would keep him a "free man and a national hero".Chief Justice IHC Sardar Mohammad Aslam, who had taken up a petition of Barrister M. Javed Iqbal Jafree, seeking review or recall its July 21 verdict reserved the judgment on its maintainability, but directed the country's Deputy Attorney General Amjad Iqbal Qureshi to submit in two days relevant cases to help decide the possibility of allowing the petition on habeas corpus matters, reported the Dawn.In the petition, Barrister Jafree had requested the Court to review its decision of barring the scientist from speaking on the nuclear proliferation issue, but allowing him to meet relatives and travel inside the country after security clearance.Dr Khan, in his handwritten letter in Urdu dated September 21, had alleged that the confession he had read out on the TV was given to him by the SPD Strategic Planning Division, and that despite the promise that he would be a free man after four months he was still under house arrest.The letter, however, did not mention what kind of "persuasion" allegedly by Musharraf compelled Dr Khan to appear before the TV and accept the wrong doings.Dr Khan had confessed on television to having transferred nuclear secrets to Iran, Libya and North Korea, but pardoned by President Musharraf though he was placed under house arrest.In a separate letter, Dr Khan had requested the Court to review its earlier judgment which had virtually put him under house arrest for life with no rights or facilities.Dr Khan alleged that the Court had mistakenly mentioned the Pakistan Science Foundation with which he has nothing to do. "I want to regularly visit Pakistan Academy of Sciences of which I was President for six years," he said in the letter. Barrister Jafree also told the court that Dr Khan was living on his "meager resources" and sacrificed everything for the country, but the concerned authorities had "violated the orders of this Court".Dr Khan was even barred from offering prayers in the nearby mosque, which he had built, the counsel said and requested the court that his client wanted to appear before it in person to witness the proceedings provided the government provided security though he believed he did not have any security concerns. ANI