Defence expert C. Uday Bhaskar on Wednesday said there was 'nothing surprising' in the recent report on Pakistan's involvement in North Korea's nuclear programme, adding that much of Pyongyang's nuclear programme was enabled by Islamabad with indirect involvement of China.
Speaking to ANI, Bhaskar said Pakistan has been engaged in a covert nuclear activities for some time now and cited the example of AQ Khan-network.
Abdul Qadeer Khan, also known as father of Pakistan's atomic bomb, was dubbed as a "serious proliferation risk" by the US in 2009.
"The current report about Pakistan providing nuclear material to North Korea is not a surprise because for a long time, Pakistan has been engaged in a covert nuclear activities. That was what AQ Khan network was all about. For a long time, professionals have come to this conclusion that much of the North Korean nuclear program was enabled by Pakistan and indirectly by China," he said.
Bhaskar said the latest report confirms the role being played by Pakistan in abetting nuclear proliferation.
"This is a very serious challenge. It is quite extraordinary, that at one level, despite the track record of Pakistan, it is applying for membership to the NSG. Furthermore, it is being supported by China. This meeting at Seoul will have to address some of these contradictions," he said.
"One can only hope that this particular assessment would be reviewed very carefully by the global community at the appropriate level," he added.
According to highly placed U.S. sources, who are involved with the tracking of nuclear commerce, Pakistan is continuing to sell nuclear materials to North Korea, while at the same time urging the international community to accept its membership to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
In making this dramatic revelation, the sources said that entities of the Pakistan Energy Commission (PAEC) have been continuing to supply restricted items such as ' Monel ' and ' Inconel ' material to North Korea in violation of U.N. sanctions.
The sources said that nuclear materials supplied to the PAEC by Chinese entities have also found their way to North Korea, with the China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA) recently receiving a written complaint that supplies of a Chinese company, Beijing Suntech Technology Company Limited, to Pakistan were being diverted to North Korea by the Pakistani authorities.
The Chinese Government hushed up the matter as it could have consequences for Beijing's bid to support Pakistan at the NSG. But this information leaked out of North Korea and came to the knowledge Of Western Governments who are members of the NSG.
In another alarming revelation, informed sources said Pakistan has been giving North Korea equipment which has a direct bearing On producing nuclear weapons. Sources said the Beijing Suntech Technology Company Limited manufactures Vacuum Induction Melting (VIM) furnaces which find application in refining hard metals such as uranium and plutonium, which are used in making nuclear warhead cores. Pakistan is known to have procured these items from China and has passed them along to North Korea.
