Deccan Chronicle

Pak, N. Korea N-ties exposed

US says Pak is still selling nuclear knowhow to N. Korea

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Washington, June 22: Pakistan is continuing to sell nuclear materials to North Korea, while at the same time urging the internatio­nal community to accept its membership to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), according to highly-placed US sources who are involved with the tracking of nuclear commerce.

In making this dramatic revelation, the sources said that entities of the Pakistan Energy Commission (PAEC) have been continuing to supply restricted Items such as “Monel’ and “Inconel” material to North Korea in violation of UN sanctions.

The sources said that nuclear materials supplied to the PAEC by Chinese entities have also found their way to North Korea, with the China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA) recently receiving a written complaint that supplies of a Chinese company, Beijing Suntech Technology Company Limited, to Pakistan were being diverted to North Korea by the Pakistani authoritie­s.

The Chinese government

Entities of the Pakistan Energy Commission have been continuing to supply restricted Items such as ‘Monel‘ and ‘Inconel’ material to North Korea in violation of UN sanctions.

hushed up the matter as it could have consequenc­es for Beijing’s bid to support Pakistan at the NSG. But this informatio­n leaked out of North Korea and came to the knowledge Of Western Government­s who are NSG members.

In another alarming revelation, informed sources said Pakistan has been giving North Korea equipment which has a direct bearing on producing nuclear weapons. Sources said the Beijing Suntech Technology Company Limited manufactur­es Vacuum Induction Melting ( VIM) furnaces which find applicatio­n in refining hard metals such as uranium and plutonium, which are used in making nuclear warhead cores. Pakistan is known to have procured these items from China and has passed them along to North Korea.

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