US charges 5 over illegal exports for Pakistan's nuclear programme; Islamabad says no information

The indictment of five men in the US for allegedly running an international network that purchased sensitive goods for Pakistan's nuclear programme not only posed a threat to America's national security interests but also to the delicate balance of power in the region, according to a senior US law enforcement official.

The US Department of Justice on Wednesday said a grand jury has indicted five, all associated with the front company 'Business World' in Rawalpindi in Pakistan, including an 82-year-old man, for operating an international procurement network to export US-origin goods for Pakistan's nuclear programme.

The five were identified as Muhammad Kamran Wali, 41, of Pakistan; Muhammad Ahsan Wali, 48, and Haji Wali Muhammad Sheikh, 82, both of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada; Ashraf Khan Muhammad of Hong Kong; and Ahmed Waheed, 52, of Ilford, Essex, United Kingdom. None of them has been arrested, although arrest warrants are pending.

"The defendants smuggled US-origin goods to entities that have been designated for years as threats to US national security for their ties to Pakistan's weapons programmes," said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Demers.

"The alleged behaviour of these five individuals presented more than a violation of US export laws, it posed a potential threat to the national security interests of the US and to the delicate balance of power among nations within the region," according to Jason Molina, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations.

According to the indictment, between September 2014 and October 2019, the five operated an international procurement network of front companies that existed to acquire US-origin goods for the Advanced Engineering Research Organisation (AERO) and the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC).

They exported US-made goods to the two Pakistani entities, placed on the US Commerce Department's Entity List, without export licenses in violation of federal law, the officials said.

The indictment identified 38 separate exports from the US over the years