Thursday, August 3 2006 12:04 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington: The US has renewed an order denying export privileges to Pakistan's Pakland PME Corporation and its owner Humayun Khan till August 2015 for allegedly shipping US nuclear triggers to Islamabad.

Khan, who is reportedly close to Pakistan's military establishment, has been indicted by the US Department of Justice in the case but is said to be roaming freely in Pakistan.

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the US Department of Commerce also notified that the firm's South African collaborator Asher Karni, who is currently in a US prison, has been placed in the Denial Persons list with immediate effect.

In its original order last year, the BIS presented evidence that Khan conspired with others to illegally export to Pakistan items subject to the Export Administration Act.

Between 2003-04, Pakland and Khan 'conspired' to have 'triggered spark gaps' and 'oscilloscopes' under the controlled list to be exported from the US to Pakistan without required licences, the BIS said.

The export of such items is controlled for non- proliferation reasons. Khan and others apparently avoided legal requirements by having them exported through South Africa to Pakistan.

In September 2003, the spark gaps were exported from the US to South Africa and then rerouted to Pakistan. The same year, Khan and his firm are said to have shipped at least two oscilloscopes to Pakistan via South Africa.