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Pakistan is one of the few countries in the world to have diplomatic and trade relations with the Juche state of North Korea, a long time enemy and arch rival of the west, particularly the United States of America. The start of relations between the two countries emerged sometime in the 1970s during the rule of Pakistan's Bhutto regime. Even to this day, North Korea maintains an embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan's capital city. It is said that the People's Republic of China played a major part in establishing relations between the two countries.
[edit] Trade relations
- Pakistan is said to have had long-time trade relations with the regime in Pyongyang. Pakistan's objectives were to acquire longer range missiles to be able to place targets deeper in India within its scope.
- Faced with having a weakened economy during the 1990s and China's reluctance to face Western pressure about selling M-11 missiles to it, Pakistan sought an alternate supplier-North Korea.
- It is well known that former Pakistani Prime minister Benazir Bhutto had met with North Korean officials on several occasions during the 1990s to disclose a deal that would give Pakistan access to North Korean No-Dhong long-range missiles. In return it is said that Pakistan would supply North Korea with nuclear weapons technology instead of money, due to having a weakened economy. However, the exchanges between the two nations has been kept rather secretive.
[edit] Allegations of Nuclear Assistance by Pakistan
- Pakistan has been accused by US officials of having secretly supplying North Korea with nuclear technology, a claim long denied by Pakistan.[1]
- The CIA claimed to have tracked several air shipments between the two countries via satellite. It is believed that doctor AQ Khan, the founder of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program had traveled to North Korea several times and provided crucial technological aid to the North Korean government to create weapons grade uranium.
- North Korea's nuclear enriched uranium resembles that of Pakistan's, according to western sources, which raises further suspicion.
[edit] 2002 scandal
- In 2002, information leaked that Pakistan has been the source of North Korea's recent development in nuclear warheads, according to US intelligence officials.[1]
- Dr Khan was placed under house arrest by the Pakistan government and was made to publicly apologise to the Pakistani public for "embarrassing" the country.
- The Pakistan government declined repeated calls for weapons inspectors to investigate Pakistan's nuclear facilities or any attempts for the CIA to directly question Dr Khan despite growing Western pressure.
[edit] 2006 Nuclear test by North Korea
- In November of 2006, North Korea tested its nuclear warheads despite world pressure not to do so.[2]
- World attention quickly turned again to Pakistan following the test, however Pakistan's government was quick to point out that the bomb exploded by North Korea was plutonium based as opposed to Pakistan's uranium based weapons.
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