Source: DW of Germany via Wasim Srroya:
North Korea owes a great deal to Pakistan, in particular to its former nuclear chief Abdul Qadeer Khan, who, in 2004, confessed that he sold nuclear secrets to Pyongyang. Experts say that without Khan’s help, North Korea would not be able to conduct nuclear tests.
Internationally, Khan is a controversial figure but in his country he is revered by millions and is fondly called the “father of the Islamic bomb.”
Khan was removed from his post as head of the country’s nuclear program by former military dictator and President Pervez Musharraf in 2001. Khan spent five years under house arrest after Musharraf had him arrested in 2004 for his alleged role in proliferating nuclear technology to “rogue states” like North Korea and Iran. The restrictions on his movement were relaxed after a court in Islamabad declared him a free man in 2009. The scientist now heads a political party and is preparing to contest upcoming parliamentary elections on May 11.