Islamabad:
A Pakistani court on Monday eased some travel restrictions on Abdul Qadeer Khan, the scientist and pioneer of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal, who admitted six years ago that he had been running an illicit proliferation network. But the court maintained a prohibition on news interviews with him about his past nuclear activities, according to lawyers involved in the case.
Khan, who is revered in Pakistan, had been put under house arrest in 2004 by then-President Pervez Musharraf after Khan offered an apology to the nation for his nuclear proliferation activities.
The details were never publicly disclosed, but Western intelligence officials had said that Khan created a black market that sold nuclear technology to North Korea, Iran and other countries.
He was declared a "free man" by a court in February 2009 as travel restrictions were lifted and he was allowed to interact with friends and family. But later that year, another court reinstated those restrictions. Pakistan has sought to describe Khan's proliferation activities as a "closed chapter" in its history. That effort has come against the backdrop of meetings recently between the country's powerful army chief, Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, and American officials over improving the relationship between Pakistan and the United States.
Pakistan wants a civilian nuclear deal with the United States structured along the same lines as the American agreement with India, but there is continued apprehension among lawmakers in Washington over Khan's proliferation record. The safety of the nuclear arsenal in Pakistan, where the military has been fighting militants, is also an underlying concern.
Privately, Pakistani officials have assured American officials of continued monitoring of Khan's activities while stressing that Pakistan's nuclear weapons are completely secure.
The court decision Monday in the eastern city of Lahore was announced after the government and Khan had reached an agreement that allowed him limited freedom, according to interviews with the lawyers for both sides.
Syed Ali Zafar, Khan's lawyer, characterized the court decision as a reiteration of Khan's status as a "free man." Unlike earlier conditions, Khan will now be able to travel within the country without prior approval from Pakistani authorities but will still have to advise of his movements in advance.
"A.Q. Khan will tell the government at least 30 minutes before he leaves his home for moving within Islamabad," Zafar said. "And, he will have to tell the government at least one day before he schedules to move outside Islamabad."
Ahmer Bilal Soofi, a government lawyer, said that under the agreement, Khan would not issue any statement or interact with any members of media on the issue of nuclear or proliferation.
A restriction on foreign travel for Khan remains in effect, lawyers for both sides said.
A metallurgist by profession, Khan admitted in a tearful public apology in 2004 that he had sold nuclear technology to several countries, although he did not identify them.
Pakistani officials have rebuffed demands by Western officials to investigate Khan over his proliferation activities.
Within the country, Khan remains a highly popular figure, exalted by nationalists and Islamist activists who portray him as a hero in the country's rivalry with nuclear-armed India.