Pakistan denies it exported nuclear equipment to North Korea

ISLAMABAD (AFP) Feb 09, 2004
Pakistan denied Monday that it had exported any nuclear equipment to North Korea two years ago, as the country investigated a nuclear proliferation scandal involving the founder of its nuclear programme.

"This is utter nonsense," foreign ministry spokesman Masood Khan said at weekly press briefing in response to a question that a plane-load of nuclear equipment was reportedly sent by Pakistan to North Korea in 2002.

"The C-130 aircraft that was there in July 2002 picked up only shoulder- fired SA-16 missiles (from North Korea), nothing else," Khan said.

"This is very well known," he said adding that "there was no nuclear technology on board."

"Speculation about this should come to an end because there was no nuclear technology on board or nuclear equipment or machines -- nothing of the sort."

Khan regretted that the report already denied by Pakistan several times was being "peddled again and again after so many denials and clarifications."

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