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Pakistan denies passing on N-materials to Laden

K J M Varma in Islamabad

Pakistan on Saturday denied passing on any nuclear material to terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden.

Pakistan has an "impeccable" record in safeguarding the nuclear materials and technologies and media reports in this regard are born out of prejudice, Foreign Office spokesman Riaz Mohammed Khan told reporters.

"These are absurd allegations. Pakistan's nuclear materials are under multi-layer custodial controls. We have unilateral commitment to the international community and to ourselves that we will not transfer nuclear materials to any country or any entity," he said.

Khan also denied reports appearing in both domestic and international press that two of its scientists were detained to probe their alleged links with Taleban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar and Laden.

A report, however, quoted President Pervez Musharraf's spokesman Major General Rashid Qureshi as saying that two scientists were being interrogated about their alleged links with the Taleban leadership.

But Khan told reporters that the retired scientists -- Dr Bashiruddin Mehmood and Abdul Majeed -- were not detained. "They have been questioned in connection with their association with charities established to help the Afghan people."

Asked whether they had passed any nuclear secrets to Laden, he said: "Absolutely not."

He said they were questioned as part of investigations being launched by Pakistan to look into all the NGOs connected with Afghanistan.

PTI

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