US indicts five for aiding Pakistan’s nuclear weapons programme

Five men have been accused in the United States for supposedly running a worldwide system that obtained US items for Pakistan's atomic weapons program.

"The respondents pirated US birthplace merchandise to elements that have been assigned for quite a long time as dangers to US national security for their connections to Pakistan's weapons programs," colleague lawyer general John Demers said in an announcement.

The five, who live outside the United States and have not been secured, were prosecuted by a grand jury in October, the Justice Department said. The arraignment was unlocked on Wednesday, and capture warrants are pending.

The five were blamed for working a front organisation called "Business World" in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

They were recognised as Muhammad Kamran Wali, 41, of Pakistan, Muhammad Ahsan Wali, 48, and Haji Wali Muhammad Sheik, 82, both of Mississauga, Ontario, Ashraf Khan Muhammad of Hong Kong, and Ahmed Waheed, 52, of Ilford, England.

They were accused of planning to abuse the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Export Control Reform Act.

"The supposed conduct of these five people introduced more than an infringement of US trade laws," said Jason Molina, a specialist with the Department of Homeland Security.

"It represented a potential risk to the national security interests of the United States and the fragile level of influence among countries inside the district."

As per the prosecution, between September 2014 and October 2019, the five acquired US merchandise without trade licenses for Pakistan's Advanced Engineering Research Organization and the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission.