Pakistan 'to test bomb in April’

Press, 26 November 1979, Page 8

Pakistan ' to test bomb in April’

NZPA-Reuter London The London “Sunday Times” said yesterday that Pakistan hoped by next April to test a thermo-nucle-ar device in defiance of attempts by nuclear powers to prevent the spread of the weapon. i The “Sunday Times” said the device Pakistan’s leader, General Mohammed Zia-UI-Hq hoped to explode “will not be a deliverable hydrogen bomb, but the distinction is academic.” “The claim that Pakistan may be just a few months away from a test was made to the “Sunday Times” last week by a high level military source from Islamabad, the capital,” said the story I by Anthony Mascarenhas. President Zia has repeaitedly asserted that Pakistan's nuclear programme is | for peaceful purposes. Asked last month if he thought Pa-

kistan might explode a device as part of its research programme he said, “I am not closing my options. I have no comment." The “Sunday Times” said yesterday that evidence had been uncovered of secret operations by Pakistan in three continents to acquire nuclear material and knowi ledge. • It said that three months 'ago a truck carrying 20 'tonnes of uranium concern l ' trate from a French mining ibase in Niger was hijacked [on the way to the port of [Cotonou, and its load had [gone to Libya and then on [to Pakistan. Pakistan had acquired secret technology from a nuclear research establishment [in the Netherlands the “Sunday Times” said, and had bought sophisticated components in west Europe and the United States.