LAHORE: Former Chairman WAPDA, Lt. Gen (R) Zulfiar Ali Khan on Friday categorically rebutted the self-styled allegations regarding nuclear sell-off.

Talking to APP while refuting all the fabricated allegations, he said that Pakistan Army has been the biggest deterrent for enemies and now US is taking steps through which it thinks that it will succeed in pitching Pakistani public against Pakistani Army.

“Before making any comments on the substance of the article, I must emphasize that the whole story has not an iota of truth but a fabrication of a mischievous mind. It is now a well known and admitted fact that this by itself is a full fledged subject meriting separate treatment,” he said.

“Coming to the substance of the article in the Washington Post; it relies mainly on a so-called letter said to have been written by a North Korean official to Dr A Q Khan in 1998. This letter is absolutely void of authenticity and credibility for the following reasons:

He said it is not on any letter head; Bonafides of the signature/signing person are not known; It mentions a combined and co-ordinated operation in Pakistan by the CIA, the South Korean Intelligence and the ISI that is incomprehensible and mind-boggling; “The reference about myself in the so-called letter from North Korea does not exist in the eleven page account given by Dr A Q Khan to Mr Henderson as referred to by the Washington Post.. In response to Washington Post's queries, he pointed out that during his tenure at GHQ, no contract was concluded with North Korea by the GHQ, nor was there any dispute between the two

Since he was not the dealing officer or, directly or indirectly connected with contracts with North Korea (if any) or the resolution of a possible dispute arising there from, the question of North Korea making any payments to him, major or minor, does not arise, he added.

The deal commonly referred to was an agreement signed between the two governments that is Pakistan and North Korea.

However, it was concluded much before he came to GHQ. It is public knowledge that an extensive and exhaustive inquiry was held into the allegations of nuclear proliferation and numerous people were thoroughly questioned and interrogated.

“It ought to be borne in mind that at no stage was my name mentioned in this context, leave aside accepting any benefit.

The queries by the correspondent of the Washington Post exhibited a crude effort to provoke people in authority by levelling unfounded and baseless allegations against them so that in reaction while defending themselves they may give away some information inadvertently which will fill in the blanks of information/data about the organisation, administrative structure, operation details about our strategic weapons programme, logistic arrangements pertaining to such weapons and the extent of R&D and production facilities. All of these falls in the category of national secrets and under no circumstance can be shared with anyone.”

Gen Zulfiqar said that US efforts, both overt and covert, spread over the last 10 to 12 years to gain access to such information is well known. Frustration emanating from their failure to gain an access, probably, prompted an effort like the one by Washington Post in the publication of this article.

In his considered opinion, this article has been written as an instrument to fulfil US long-term objectives mainly to malign and undermine Pakistan Army by casting aspersion on the integrity of an ex-army chief and other senior officers, he said.

He said Washington Post claims to be a reputed newspaper. If indeed it was, it should not have endeavored to malign the Army by citing a dubious 13-year old letter.