Sunday, December 4 2005 17:05 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Islamabad: Pakistan has ruled out permission to the IAEA to directly interrogate A Q Khan in order to unravel the proliferation network led by him, claiming it has been cooperating with the UN nuclear watchdog's investigations.

Reacting to comments by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director Mohammad ElBaradei to media that direct dialogue with A Q Khan would help solve the puzzle of the nuclear black marketing led by the father of Pakistan's nuclear programme, Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam said, "We have been cooperating with the IAEA and this cooperation has been appreciated by the agency."

President Pervez Musharraf has made it clear on many occasions that whatever information is required will be provided through the government of Pakistan, local daily The News quoted her today as saying. The nuclear watchdog, which is currently dealing with Iran wanted to question Dr Khan, who had allegedly assisted Tehran in developing its nuclear programme.