Islamabad: US Secretary of State Collin Powell has telephoned Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and asked him to share details of the probe into proliferation of nuclear technology by its top scientist with the international community.

During his lengthy conversation with Musharraf last night (Feb 07, 2004), Powell also told Musharraf that he would be visiting Islamabad later this month to discuss a host of issues including, crackdown on remnants of al Qaeda and the Taliban.

Musharraf on his part told Powell that granting pardon to father of nuclear bomb Abdul Qadeer Khan was an internal matter of Pakistan and promised to take a decision on handing over details of the probe into the nuclear leak to other countries after the investigation is completed.

Officials said that Powell discussed with Musharraf the developments following public confession by Khan last week that he was involved in transferring nuclear technology to Iran, North Korea and Libya.

"The conversation was very cordial and Powell understood Pakistan's point of view on nuclear scientists," an official said.

While appreciating the steps initiated by Pakistan, "Powell demanded of Musharraf to let the international community know about the details of the investigations conducted into the matter of involvement of Pakistan nuclear scientists and their associates in nuclear proliferation so that the network which is behind the transfer of technology to other countries could be eliminated fully," news agency 'Online' quoted officials as saying.

During his telephonic conversation with Musharraf, Powell also discussed about the pardon granted to Khan by the military leader to which the latter reportedly said it was entirely an internal matter and that no Pakistani Government in the past nor any institution was involved in the proliferation, the news agency report said.

Meanwhile, Pakistan daily 'Dawn' quoted officials as saying that Powell would be arriving in Islamabad later this month on a four-day visit to discuss a host of issues, including fallout of revelations by Khan and to review the progress so far made in the hunt for Osama bin Laden.

During his stay, Powell would hold meetings with Musharraf and other senior officials, including head of the Strategic Planning Division, Lt-Gen Khalid Kidwai, who dealt with the security of Pakistan's nuclear weapons, it said.

Powell would discuss with the Pakistani authorities certain strategies to crackdown on Osama bin Laden and Taliban leader Mullah Omar who are suspected to be still alive and hiding near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, it said.

Some members of the American Association of Nuclear Scientists, who had earlier visited Pakistan after 9/11 and held extensive debriefing sessions with two Pakistani scientists, Bashiruddin Mehmood and Abdul Majeed to find if there was any truth in allegations that they had shared nuclear information with al Qaeda outfit, may revisit Islamabad to probe the extent of the nuclear leakage.

Officials said Pakistan was obliged to give the details of information gathered about nuclear proliferation and the extent of involvement of Khan and his associates in the matter to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The matter, they said, did not end with the pardon granted to Khan by the President.