ISLAMABAD, May 28 Sultan Bashiruddin Mahmood, a nuclear scientist who was arrested in 2003 and later released by intelligence agencies for alleged links with Osama bin Laden, has for the first time confessed to have met the Al Qaeda chief, but only to seek funds for building a technical college in Afghanistan.

“I met Osama bin Laden before 9/11 not to give him nuclear know-how, but to seek funds for establishing a technical college in Kabul,” Mr Mahmood said during an interview at his residence.

The former director-general of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission said he had worked with the Afghan government from the late 90s to early 2001 under the banner a charity organisation called Ummah Tameer-i-Nau.

The aging and bearded Mahmood, who played a key role in promotion and development of nuclear technology in Pakistan, said he had a single-point agenda for his meeting with Osama. “The media, however, projected the meeting in a very negative manner.”

Mr Mahmood said he had served Pakistan with dedication and commitment and could never have even imagined passing secrets to the Al Qaeda chief.

He said the meeting was arranged by the Taliban leadership on his request. “I had heard that Osama was a wealthy man. However, during the meeting he turned down our request for funds.”About the Sept 11, 2001, attacks in the US, he said he was saddened by the events because many innocent people lost their lives.“Later I and other people involved in the charity initiative were arrested by personnel of the Inter-Services Intelligence,” Mr Mahmood said.

He said that during detention, Americans conducted extensive interrogation sessions with him. “I told them the truth. I did not hide anything from them. No one physically tortured me. However, I were under severe mental after having been interrogated for 52 days running.”

He said that at the end of the investigations, both Americans and Pakistanis confided to him that he was innocent.

“I faced severe financial problems because they froze my accounts. I had only three to four hundred thousand rupees, but that sum was a big amount for me because neither did I own any business nor had any other source of income.”

Mr Mahmood said after his release, the government barred him from employment in the public sector.

About the attitude of the US government, the scientist bemoaned that although the Americans conceded “I am not a terrorist, they have not removed my name from the list”.

George Tenet, a former CIA director, described “me as a mad scientist” in his book and wrote a complete chapter on him, the nuclear expert recalled with a tinge of pride.

Mr Mahmood praised his children for excelling in education, bringing the days of hardship to an end.Sultan Bashiruddin has authored 42 books on Islam and translated the Holy Quran into English.

He said he had his heart set on performing Umrah, but the exit control list made this impossible. “The only country that I want to visit is Saudi Arabia.”

In reply to a question about the allegations of proliferation against Dr. A. Q Khan, Mr Mahmood said he was not aware of these things.