ISLAMABAD, 12 February 2004 — Despite international criticism of clandestine nuclear transfers by Pakistani scientists, President Pervez Musharraf says the country is further developing its nuclear capability.

Online news agency quoted Musharraf as saying that Pakistan would continue to develop its nuclear program and there would be no compromise on the issue.

Musharraf was presiding over a special session of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, held at Aiwan-e-Sadr in Islamabad yesterday. The meeting was attended by several senior government and military officials.

Underlining Pakistan’s nuclear power status, Musharraf said the nuclear program was peaceful in nature and essential for the nation’s security.

He reiterated that no Pakistani government institution was involved in nuclear proliferation, and that it was limited to individuals who would face action.

Musharraf’s remarks follow a controversial televised confession by top nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan that he had passed nuclear secrets to countries like Iran, North Korea and Libya. Musharraf subsequently granted Khan a presidential pardon, fuelling speculation that it was done as a deal to turn the spotlight away from the establishment’s alleged role in proliferation.

The meeting reviewed in detail the findings of a probe conducted against scientists accused of selling nuclear secrets abroad. Military officials said the next few days would reveal the action that would be taken by Pakistan against these scientists.

Recent missile tests conducted by India were also discussed and it was decided to develop Pakistan’s missile program to maintain a strategic balance in the region.

In a related development, Pakistan yesterday repeated pledges to share information from their investigation into nuclear leaks with the international community to help shut down the nuclear black market and determine how far North Korea has gone to develop atomic weapons.

Musharraf promised visiting Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Ichiro Fujisaki that Pakistan will share its evidence on North Korea with Tokyo.

“It was inconceivable that Pakistan would do anything that would affect peace and security of Northeast Asia and especially of Japan,” he said.

“Pakistan would share with Japan the results of its internal investigations on any illegal transfers to North Korea when the investigations were completed,” a Foreign Ministry statement said after the talks.

Japan is one of six nations due to join a meeting on North Korea’s nuclear program in Beijing later this month. The United States will also be there, and US officials have expressed hope that information from Pakistan could help clarify details about North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.

North Korea has denied receiving technology from Khan, who was pardoned by Musharraf last week after he confessed to leaking nuclear technology to Iran, Libya and North Korea.

Pakistani officials have shied away from saying directly that they will hand over evidence to Washington. Musharraf has drawn strong domestic criticism for his cooperation with the United States’ anti-terror campaign in neighboring Afghanistan, and is keen to avoid any appearance that he is a US puppet.

“We should not try to define the cooperation,” military spokesman Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan told The Associated Press, when asked if evidence from the probe will be shared with Washington.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Masood Khan said Pakistan was working with a range of groups interested in stopping the spread of nuclear technology.

“Pakistan is cooperating with the international community,” he said. “We will continue to work with concerned states and international organizations, especially the IAEA, to put a halt to proliferation.”

“Pakistan is a responsible state and will cooperate so that this underworld is unearthed,” Sultan said.

Six scientists and security officials remain in custody in the investigation, and Khan is being guarded under tight security at his Islamabad home.

Sultan declined to say whether Khan was still being interrogated, or reveal any details of previous questioning on the scientist’s ties to North Korea. “Whenever there is a need to question somebody it can be done,” Sultan said.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s foreign minister pledged during a visit to Warsaw yesterday to press ahead with his country’s investigation of people responsible for leaking nuclear weapons technology.

“We take our international responsibility very seriously,” said Mahmud Kasuri after talks with his Polish counterpart Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz.

“Nobody is above the law and that includes the father of Pakistan’s nuclear program who is regarded as a hero by many Pakistanis for bringing strategic parity in South Asia,” he said, referring to Khan.

Pakistani authorities have gathered evidence against eight people, including Khan’s assistant, Kasuri said.

“The investigation is going on. We want to get more information from the other people and they will face the law,” said Kasuri.

Kasuri is on a three-day visit to Warsaw to strengthen the economic relations between the two countries following a trip to Germany where he attended an international security conference in Munich. He is scheduled to leave Warsaw today for London.