Aiding 'Nuclear-weapons' programme: US yet to share details of five individuals: FO

Foreign Office said on Friday that United States is yet to share the details of those five individuals indicted in the US for allegedly running an international network that purchased American products for Pakistan's nuclear weapons program.

"We have seen reports about the indictment of 5 individuals alleged to have exported items to some Pakistani entities on the US Department of Commerce Entity List. We have received no official information from the US and are trying to ascertain the facts," Foreign Office Spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said in response to a question about indictment of five individuals by the US authorities for alleged export of items to entities from Pakistan on the US Department of Commerce Entity List.

She said that the identities of the individuals have not been shared with Pakistan, adding that there has been no effort to verify any facts from Pakistani authorities. "While we are not in a position to comment without having details, there have been instances in the past when restrictions have been placed on Pakistani entities on mere suspicion," she said, adding that in many cases denials have been made based on 'catch-all' provisions for items which were not even on any control lists and were intended for purely peaceful uses and socio-economic development.

The spokesperson stated that Pakistan has genuine socio-economic development needs involving utilization of equipment, items and technologies, some of which might also be dual-use technologies. "In such cases, we ensure that we follow all end-use certification requirements and provide guarantees against any misuse or diversion. If there are any additional requirements / guarantees required, we are always willing to consider those," she added.

With regard to denial of technology to Pakistan, she said: "We find references to delicate regional balance as specifically objectionable and frivolous considering the fact that one country in our region has been provided waivers and special status for access to sensitive technologies." This has led to development of advanced military weaponry and is threatening strategic stability in South Asia, she added.

On January 15, 2020, the United States Department of Justice said in a statement that five men, all associated with the front company "Business World" in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, and including Muhammad Kamran Wali (Kamran), 41, of Pakistan; Muhammad Ahsan Wali (Ahsan), 48, and Haji Wali Muhammad Sheikh (Haji), 82, both of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada; Ashraf Khan Muhammad (Khan) of Hong Kong; and Ahmed Waheed (Waheed), 52, of Ilford, Essex, United Kingdom, were indicted in federal court for conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Export Control Reform Act. The grand jury returned the indictment on October 16, 2019, and it was unsealed on Wednesday last.

"The defendants smuggled the US origin goods to entities that have been designated for years as threats to US national security for their ties to Pakistan's weapons programs," said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C Demers. "This indictment puts the world on notice not to do business with these defendants and demonstrates our commitment to holding them accountable. It also stands as an example of the kind of deceptive behavior US businesses need to watch out for in designing appropriate export control and sanctions compliance programs." "Federal export control laws are vital tools that help prevent items from being exported overseas where they could be used in ways that can jeopardize our national security," said the US Attorney Scott W Murray for the District of New Hampshire. "In order to protect the safety and security of the American people, we work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify those who violate these important laws. We will continue to be vigilant in our efforts to identify individuals whose actions may jeopardize the national security of the United States. "The alleged behavior of these five individuals presented more than a violation of the US export laws, it posed a potential threat to the national security interests of the United States and to the delicate balance of power among nations within the region," said Jason Molina, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations.

"HSI's Counter-proliferation group proactively works investigations into US import-export licensing laws violations because of the threat it can pose to our national security. "The indictments unsealed today are a result of the ongoing coordination and collaborative counter proliferation efforts by the Office of Export Enforcement, the Justice Department, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and Homeland Security Investigations," said Special Agent in Charge William Higgins of the Office of Export Enforcement. "The Boston Field Office of the Office of Export Enforcement will continue to vigorously pursue violators with all its partners to stem illicit trade that threatens US national security and undermines the US foreign policy."

"Stopping the illegal exportation of sensitive defense technology is a top priority for the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and today's indictment is the result of a multi-agency effort," stated Special Agent in Charge Leigh-Alistair Barzey, DCIS Northeast Field Office. "The DCIS is committed to working with the USAO-NH, Homeland Security Investigations and the Office of Export Enforcement, to protect our nation's security by identifying, investigating and prosecuting criminal procurement networks." According to the indictment, between September 2014 and October 2019, the defendants operated an international procurement network of front companies that existed to acquire US-origin goods for the Advanced Engineering Research Organization (AERO) and the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), and to cause those goods to be exported from the United States to the entities without export licenses in violation of federals law. Both AERO and PAEC were on the Commerce Department's Entity List, which imposes export license requirements for organizations whose activities are found to be contrary to the US national security or foreign policy interests. PAEC was added to the Entity List in 1998.