By KUNA,
ISLAMABAD : The Pakistani government is considering filing an appeal against an Islamabad High Court (IHC) verdict declaring nuclear scientist Dr. A. Q. Khan a free citizen, said a report here on Monday.
The IHC on Friday ended an almost five-year house detention of Khan and declared him free citizen.
Citing government sources, local daily Dawn reported that the court decision might be challenged because of concerns expressed by the United States and the United Kingdom.
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told a TV channel before leaving for Munich to attend an international security conference that the government reserved the right to file an appeal against the court decision.
Foreign Minister Qureshi said that Khan had already been relieved of his duties and he had nothing to do with the country’s nuclear-related policies.
The network of Dr. Khan did not exist any more and he had no access to the country’s sensitive information or policy-making institutions, he added.
Dr. Khan was put under house arrest by former President General Pervez Musharraf after confessing to leaking nuke technology to North Korea, Iran, and Libya in a televised address to the nation.(end) amn.wsa KUNA 090901 Feb 09NNNN