London: Pakistan would never allow foreign inspection of its nuclear facilities and "never stop" its nuclear and missile programme, President Pervez Musharraf has said insisting that disgraced scientist A Q Khan acted alone in selling nuclear technology without Government's or military's knowledge.

"This is a very sensitive issue. Would any other nuclear power allow its sensitive installations to be inspected? Why should Pakistan be expected to allow anybody to inspect," he questioned when asked whether Islamabad would permit foreign inspectors to monitor its nuclear facilities.

"We are not hiding anything ...what is the need of any inspection," he said in an interview to a British daily.

He also denied that nuclear weapons technology had been exchanged for North Korean ballistic missile, and said Pakistan bought conventional surface-to-air missile from the communist State in 2002 after paying money.

Musharraf told the 'Financial Times' daily that Pakistan has no intention of freezing its nuclear weapons programme.

"We will never stop our nuclear and missile programme... that is our vital national interest. It is totally indigenous now. Whatever had to be imported and procured has been obtained."

He also insisted that Khan together with six other scientists and officials currently in custody, acted alone in selling nuclear technology without the Government's or military's knowledge.

Musharraf said in the interview that Khan acted alone in selling nuclear secrets to other countries and that Islamabad's nuclear programme was not under the aegis of the military.

"It never was and it is not now...we have a (nuclear) National Command Authority with the President as the boss and there are a number of ministers and the military men also. This is not a military body, it is the highest body of the nation."

"I believe in the Army dictum that a Commander is responsible for all that happens or does not happen in his command - and to that extent any President is responsible for what happens in the country," he said, adding "but otherwise, if you are hinting at any direct responsibility, no not at all."

Musharraf's comments came less than two weeks after he pardoned Khan, the "father of Islamic bomb", following the scientist's public confession that he had passed on nuclear technology to other countries - believed to be Iran, Libya and North Korea.

He claimed Iran was the only country, which had received nuclear secrets from Khan, despite reports from the International Atomic Energy Agency and Western Governments that Libya and North Korea also benefited.

He, however, did concede that it was likely the design for centrifuges, which are needed to enrich uranium to weapons-grade material, had been transferred to Iran.

Musharraf also revealed that Khan had signed a written agreement two weeks ago in which he pledged not to resume any contacts with the "nuclear underworld" outside Pakistan.