ISLAMABAD, 4 October 2006 — US Ambassador to Pakistan Ryan C. Crocker said yesterday that the United States did not seek the custody of Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan. “The US does not want Qadeer for questioning,” he said.
Crocker said, “Pakistan and the IAEA know about Qadeer’s links and his clandestine network. We had earlier passed on whatever intelligence we had about the scientist and his network.”
Earlier yesterday, Secretary of the National Security Council Tariq Aziz and Lt. Gen. Hamid Javaid, president’s chief of staff, held separate meetings with the US ambassador and told him in categorical terms that Islamabad would not hand over Qadeer to the United States.
Dina Khan, daughter of Qadeer Khan, has rejected as “ludicrous” Musharraf’s claim in his book that Qadeer had smuggled out a letter from his confinement in Islamabad instructing her to go public on Pakistan’s nuclear secrets. She reportedly said in a statement in London that the letter was addressed to her mother and gave her father’s “version of what actually transpired and requested my mother to release those details in the event of my father being killed or made to disappear.” She said the letter mentioned “people and places” but contained no nuclear blueprints or information.
Dina said that British intelligence outfit MI5 made frantic efforts to establish contact with the family but her father discouraged such a communication.
Referring to the recent exchange of allegations between India and Pakistan over ISI’s involvement in Bombay train blasts, the US envoy said, “The United States wants a peaceful resolution of all disputes between the two countries including Kashmir. He said the United States sees the meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Musharraf in Havana as a very positive development. He said, “There should be direct contact between the leadership of the two countries to allay misunderstandings.”
He expressed satisfaction over Pakistan’s role as an ally in the war on terror. “Pakistan has been a very trustworthy ally,” he said.
Referring to the situation in Afghanistan Crocker said, “Military action is not the only solution to this problem. Much more needs to been done including closing down the institutions that breed terrorists.”
The ambassador said that the trilateral meeting between President Bush, President Musharraf and President Hamid Karzai was very fruitful and productive.
Commenting on Musharraf’s visit to the United States, the ambassador said it was very successful and would pave the way the further cementing relations between the United States and Pakistan.
Crocker also spoke about the US assistance for the rehabilitation of earthquake survivors.
