New York: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf was initially turning a "blind eye" to the activities of the top scientist involved in nuclear proliferation as there was not enough evidence to support his illicit activities but that changed after Iran was forced to allow international inspectors last year, a media report said today (Feb 8, 2004).

Musharraf had received reports of "serious problem" with Khan right from the day he took over power in October 1999, his aides told the 'New York Times', adding at that time he lacked necessary proof to crack down on him.

The early reports, they told the 'Times', involved financial improprieties, allegations of skimming from Government contracts and awarding contracts to relatives for work at the Government laboratory run by Khan.

But over the years, officials from the US and elsewhere gathered more troubling evidence that Khan was secretly exporting nuclear know-how to Iran, North Korea and Libya.

However, everything changed when Iran was forced to allow international inspectors into its nuclear operations last year, and a European expert identified its centrifuge equipment as a Pakistani adaptation of a European design that Khan had been accused of stealing in the 1970s.

Then, in October, a ship was intercepted on its way to Libya, bearing centrifuge parts. They were traced back to a plant in Malaysia that did work for Khan.

As evidence mounted, the paper said the Pakistani Government slowly began to back away from its years of denials, and the pressure on Khan grew.