New Delhi: The United States today (Oct 21, 2004) said it was working with many countries to make sure that disgraced Pakistani scientist A Q Khan's network which clandestinely transferred sensitive nuclear technology and equipment to Iran, Libya and North Korea among others, was pulled out "root and branch" and never reconstituted.

"We are working both with the Government of Pakistan as well as with many Governments around the world. What we are trying to do now essentially is to make sure this can never happen again," US Assistant Secretary of State Christina Rocca, who came here after a visit to Pakistan, told a select group of reporters.

Observing that this was not a network that applied to one country but that many countries were involved, she said, "We are working with many Governments to pull it out root and branch and make sure it can never be reconstituted".

Asked about US perception of the current status of Indo-Pak relations, Rocca said, "the US Government is extremely pleased with the progress made" by the two countries.

Observing that "we are friends of both India and Pakistan", she said "we are very happy to see them sitting down and talking in order to resolve all the issues that divide them.

This is good for stability of the two countries, regional stability and world stability and peace. We are happy to see that taking place".