LONDON, June 28: A Pakistani nuclear scientist who is hiding in Europe has told The Observer newspaper that he was asked by his country's military commanders for information which would have enabled them to order pre-emptive strikes against India. The newspaper says that scientists on Pakistan's nuclear weapons programme were asked to provide data for the explosive yields and weaponisation necessary to attack a variety of Indian military targets.The scientist, a nuclear physicist and an expert in warhead technology, said the request for the data came in the two weeks between India's recent nuclear tests and those carried out in retaliation by Pakistan.
Senior Pakistani politicians, it has emerged since, were during this time convinced that they were about to be attacked by India, possibly with Israeli assistance.
According to The Observer, the scientist who has not been named because of reasons of personal security, fled Pakistan with four colleagues earlier this month in protest against what hedescribed as Pakistan's adoption of a ``first-use policy''. He is most senior of the five and he told the paper that he was present at meetings when the nuclear targets in India were being discussed. The paper says the men escaped after attempts by Pakistan's Inter-Service Intelligence agency to stop their defection.
The paper says the men left Pakistan without personal possession, leaving behind their families too. It says that the wife of the seniormost of the group has since been arrested. An associate of the scientists told the paper, ``These guys turned up in the countries they escaped to with nothing but the clothes on their backs... They are very scared. Their families are still in Pakistan and they believe Pakistani intelligence officials are looking for them.''
Pakistani authorities have denied that there have been any defections and reiterated that Pakistan had never intended to use its nuclear weapons against India. A Pakistani official is quoted in the paper as having said: ``All ourscientists are here.. we have never contemplated using nuclear weapons against India. We did not intend to test our nuclear devices but were forced to do so by India's tests.''
The Observer, however, says that other senior sources in Pakistan have shown marked embarrassment over the issue of the missing scientists and refused to answer questions on their whereabouts.According to the paper the scientists, who are seeking asylum, are adamant that they are not being unpatriotic but are deeply concerned about the discussions over India's military centres.
A full report of the conversation between the scientist and the journalist Paul Beaver is due to appear in this week's edition of the Jane's Defence Weekly.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
