Musharraf

Tehran, May 29 (Reuters): Iran today demanded an explanation of comments attributed to Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf saying Iran was eager to develop a nuclear bomb.

Pakistan has said German news magazine Der Spiegel misquoted Musharraf as saying the Iranians are “very keen on building the bomb”.

Washington accuses Iran of developing atomic weapons under cover of a nuclear energy programme. Iran insists its nuclear programme is solely for the peaceful generation of electricity.

The UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been investigating Iran for more than two years. It has found no proof of atom-bomb plans but has been unable to verify the programme is entirely peaceful, as Iran says it is.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Hamid Reza Asefi said Musharraf’s remarks had been distorted by Der Spiegel.

“It is unlikely that Musharraf made such comments. We hope the Pakistanis provide us with an explanation,” Asefi told a weekly news conference.

“It is not up to other countries to comment about our nuclear programme.”

Pakistani foreign ministry spokesperson Jalil Abbas Jilani said Musharraf’s remarks had been “incorrectly reported”.

He said Musharraf was asked whether Iran was anxious to develop an atomic bomb. He said Musharraf replied: “I don’t know”.

“With this, this misunderstanding should come to an end,” Jilani added.

Pakistan has acknowledged that Abdul Qadeer Khan, the father of Pakistan’s atomic bomb programme, had provided Iran with centrifuges used to produce enriched uranium fuel for nuclear power plants or arms.

France, Britain and Germany want Iran to give up enrichment, a process of purifying uranium for use in power plants or bombs, in exchange for a package of incentives.