Washington: Pakistan continued to acquire nuclear-related equipment and material from various sources, principally Western Europe, and its ballistic missile programme was helped by Chinese entities, the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has said.

Pakistan's nuclear weapons tests in late May 1998 demonstrated its well-developed nuclear weapons programme, the CIA said in a report to Congress covering the first six months of 2002.

If Pakistan chooses to develop more advanced nuclear weapons, "seeking nuclear- related equipment and materials will remain important," it said.

China, said the CIA, provided "extensive support" in the past to Islamabad's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes, but in May 1996 it pledged not to provide assistance to unsafeguarded nuclear facilities in any state, including Pakistan.

"We cannot rule out, however," said the CIA, "the possibility of continued contacts between Chinese and Pakistani entities on Pakistan's nuclear weapons development."

Pakistan's ballistic missile programme, said the CIA, continued to benefit from significant Chinese entity assistance during the reporting period.

With Chinese entity assistance, Pakistan continues to move towards serial production of solid-propellant short-range ballistic missiles, such as the Shaheen-I, Abdali and Ghaznavi, the CIA said.

During the reporting period, Pakistan flight-tested three ballistic missiles - the Ghauri medium range ballistic missile, the Hatf III (Ghaznavi) short-range ballistic missile, and the Hatf II (Abdali) short-range ballistic missile, and prepared to test the Shaheen I short-range ballistic missile.

PTI