Investigations into alleged nuclear proliferation by Pakistani scientists is progressing satisfactorily and of the four being investigated "one or two" are likely to be set free shortly, Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad said here on Monday.
"All cases were extensively reviewed and it was reiterated that those who transferred abroad sensitive national assets would be dealt with severely and the innocent would be sent home," he told a news conference after a meeting chaired by President Pervez Musharraf.
The meeting took special note of the fact that of the seven under-investigation three are not scientists as they belong to the security cadre, the minister said, stressing that out of 6000 scientists and 60,000 strong workforce engaged in nuclear weapons programme only four nuclear scientists "are currently under investigation".
He rejected the growing perception that Pakistan is under intense international pressure in respect of its nuclear weapons programme. "Pakistan is under nobody's pressure, and no shift in national security policies is being contemplated," he added.
Sh Rashid recounted the unprecedented national effort over the last three decades by thousands of scientists in giving the country a deterrent and said that Pakistan cannot allow anyone to pass on information relating to any aspect of its strategic weapons development programme to anyone here or abroad.
"It must also be emphasised that the law does not discriminate between citizens and, therefore, no one is above the law," he said.
The minister rejected reports of "third degree" treatment being meted out to the detained scientists.
He said the families of these scientists could get in touch with them through Ishfaq Gondal, a senior official in his ministry.
The minister repeatedly denied that the scientists were "arrested". But he replaced the so-far used expression "debriefing" with "investigation".
The minister dispelled the impression that Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan was under house arrest.
"There is no restriction on him", he said, adding that he would be meeting the country's top nuclear scientist on Tuesday.
Asked why action was taken against scientists when an Iranian minister during his recent visit here said his country did not receive any technological help from Pakistanis, Rashid said that the information was given by Tehran to the IAEA.
"I did not say anything about it," was his reply when asked why he missed out North Korea while mentioning Libya and Iran as alleged beneficiaries of proliferation undertaken by Pakistani scientists.
"There is no question of nuclear rollback during Musharraf's era," the minister said, repeating former COAS General Aslam Beg's statement that the country's nuclear programme was rolled back during Benazir Bhutto's term.
In reply to a question whether US Vice President Dick Cheney in his meeting with Musharraf in Davos took up alleged proliferation, the minister said the American leader was sure that Pakistan government was not involved.
He rejected the suggestion that proliferation case was brought to the forefront by the Pakistan government, saying that being a Muslim country, placed as it is in this region, the Western media tends to target Pakistan.
KASHMIR SOLIDARITY DAY TO OBSERVED ON FEBRUARY 5: The government has decided to observe Kashmir Solidarity Day on February 05 (Thursday) like it was doing every year in the past.
Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed told a news briefing here at the PID's media centre that this was decided at a top-level meeting, presided over by President General Pervez Musharraf.
The minister, in reply to a question played down the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal threat of march in the Federal Capital, " the weather and environment is not ripe for any march in Islamabad. It is very cold here".
He said this when asked for comments on MMA's Acting President Qazi Hussain Ahmed's threat of march in Islamabad if debriefing of nuclear scientists was not stopped.
Qazi hurled the threat during a rally in Rawalpindi on Sunday against investigations being carried out against some nuclear scientists and security staff of Kahuta Research Laboratories.
Replying to another question, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said that the government would not mind if former chief minister of Punjab and senior Pakistan Muslim League leader Shahbaz Sharif wanted to return.
He recalled it was Nawaz Sharif and his family, which had put pressure on the government to send them in exile. "It was their demand and they applied pressure from all possible channels for permission to leave the country," the minister added.
Shahbaz Sharif reportedly declared at a function in London to stage a comeback to steer the country out of crises. He had expressed fears that the national nuclear programme was under threat due to international pressure.
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