London: Pakistan scientists have sold plans to make a nuclear bomb to Libya for "millions of pounds", Saif al-Islam, son of Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gadaffi has confirmed.
In an interview to the "Sunday Times", Saif stated that Libya had bought nuclear components from a variety of black market dealers. "We dealt with an underground network of middle men and secret workshops". Some Arab sources, quoted in the Times, said some of the components for the Libyan nuclear programme were bought in Dubai and shipped to Libya.
Western experts who went to inspect Libyan weapons site, following the agreement between Colonel Gaddafi and Britain and the US, were taken aback when they found that nuclear scientists working for the Libyan leader had a "full bomb dossier" from Pakistan.
Reacting to Saif's disclosure, Mahnaz Isphani, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, said an American aid package for Pakistan that was due to be discussed by the Congress could now come into question.
Western officials quoted in the "Sunday Times" said the Pakistani scientists may have received as much as 100 million dollar over several years starting from 1990s.
Although they also believe that scientists could have been working on their own account, without the knowledge of authorities in Islamabad, the officials admitted the role of Pakistani scientists in Libya's nuclear programme would "prove extremely embarrassing for Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf".
The report also said American and British pressure would certainly increase on president Musharraf, who "already stands accused of failing to prevent the illicit sale of nuclear material to Iran". It is an open secret that North Korea gave Pakistan technology to develop Ghauri missile and Pakistan in turn traded its nuclear know-how with it.
Member of the Pentagon's defence policy board Kenneth Adleman said, "It is clear that Pakistan has been promiscuous over nuclear issues. It was true under General Zia, under Benazir Bhutto and under President Musharraf". But sources close to Bhutto countered that the n-programme has always been strictly under the military brass.
In an interview to the "Sunday Times", Saif stated that Libya had bought nuclear components from a variety of black market dealers. "We dealt with an underground network of middle men and secret workshops". Some Arab sources, quoted in the Times, said some of the components for the Libyan nuclear programme were bought in Dubai and shipped to Libya.
Western experts who went to inspect Libyan weapons site, following the agreement between Colonel Gaddafi and Britain and the US, were taken aback when they found that nuclear scientists working for the Libyan leader had a "full bomb dossier" from Pakistan.
Reacting to Saif's disclosure, Mahnaz Isphani, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, said an American aid package for Pakistan that was due to be discussed by the Congress could now come into question.
Western officials quoted in the "Sunday Times" said the Pakistani scientists may have received as much as 100 million dollar over several years starting from 1990s.
Although they also believe that scientists could have been working on their own account, without the knowledge of authorities in Islamabad, the officials admitted the role of Pakistani scientists in Libya's nuclear programme would "prove extremely embarrassing for Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf".
The report also said American and British pressure would certainly increase on president Musharraf, who "already stands accused of failing to prevent the illicit sale of nuclear material to Iran". It is an open secret that North Korea gave Pakistan technology to develop Ghauri missile and Pakistan in turn traded its nuclear know-how with it.
Member of the Pentagon's defence policy board Kenneth Adleman said, "It is clear that Pakistan has been promiscuous over nuclear issues. It was true under General Zia, under Benazir Bhutto and under President Musharraf". But sources close to Bhutto countered that the n-programme has always been strictly under the military brass.
