Washington: In an embarrassment to the Bush Administration, which views President Pervez Musharraf as its best bet in the region against terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), top Pakistani scientist A Q Khan has revealed that the military ruler himself was involved neck-deep in nuclear proliferation, the 'Washington Post' reported quoting a senior Pakistani investigator.

Khan has told investigators that Musharraf, former Premier Benazir Bhutto and ex-Army chiefs Mirza Aslam Beg and Jehangir Karamat were all involved in nuclear proliferation in addition to him and his colleagues, according to a friend of Khan's and a senior Pakistani investigator, the paper said.

Khan said he helped North Korea design and equip facilities for making weapons-grade uranium with the knowledge of senior military commanders, including Musharraf, the unnamed investigator was quoted as saying.

Khan also told investigators that General Beg, the Army Chief of Staff from 1968 to 1991, was aware of assistance the scientist was providing to Iran's nuclear programme and that the two other Army chiefs, in addition to Musharraf, knew and approved of his efforts on behalf of Pyongyang, he said.

Khan's assertions of high level Army involvement came in the course of a probe into allegations that he and other Pakistani scientists made millions of Dollars from selling equipment and expertise to Iran, Libya and North Korea.

They contradict repeated contentions by Musharraf and other officials that Khan and at least one other scientist, Mohammed Farooq, acted out of greed and in violation of long standing Government policy that bars the export of nuclear weapons technology to any foreign country.