Atom bomb 'secret leak' scientist is released

Published on Friday 6 February 2009 20:54

ABDUL Qadeer Khan, the scientist who helped Pakistan develop nuclear weapons and allegedly leaked atomic sec-rets to North Korea, Iran and Libya, was yesterday freed from years of de facto house arrest.

A smiling Mr Khan emerged from his house in the Pakistani capital and addressed reporters face-to-face for the first time since 2004.

However, he indicated he would not be discussing Pakistan's atomic bomb programme or about who was involved in leaking its secrets around the world.

"We don't want to talk about the past things," he said as the guards who have enforced his long isolation stood aside for a throng of TV crews and journalists.

Mr Khan, the architect of Pakistan's nuclear programme, took sole responsibility in 2004 for leaking the nuclear secrets but was immediately pardoned by former president Pervez Musharraf and effectively placed under house arrest.

The 72-year-old who has suffered a string of illnesses, began agitating for an end to the restrictions after last year's fall of Mr Musharraf.

In response to an appeal by his lawyers, the Islamabad High Court declared Mr Khan "a free citizen" on Friday. The court said other details of the order were confidential.

The government has never said that Mr Khan was under house arrest, maintaining he was being held for his own security.

Mr Khan hailed the order as a "good judgment." "I can move around," he said.