ISLAMABAD, Jan 21: Gen (retd) Aslam Beg, former Chief of Army Staff on Tuesday denied he had carried any message from Iranian government to Nawaz Sharif government soliciting transfer of nuclear technology besides expressing shock over the way nuclear scientists were being treated, saying it was beyond his comprehension.

Rumours were rife in Islamabad that Gen (retd) Beg had also been 'questioned' in connection with the ongoing inquiry started on the letter of International Atomic Energy Commission.

Some reports, which were neither denied nor confirmed by official quarters, suggested that Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan had told investigators that any sharing of nuclear technology with Iran had been sanctioned by Gen Aslam Beg, who served as Pakistan's chief of the army staff between August 1988 and August 1991.

However, Gen (retd) Aslam Beg denied that he had been approached by any official in this regard. When he was asked about statements of two former senior ministers, who recently alleged that a former COAS had conveyed to the then prime minister Nawaz Sharif about Iran's willingness to pay a handsome price for the transfer of nuclear technology, Gen. Beg termed it sheer lies. "I am not an idiot to carry such a message."

He said when he was COAS during the tenure of the first PPP government, it had been decided that Pakistan would not conduct "hot tests", after having achieved nuclear deterrence capability through "soft tests". He said it had also been decided that Pakistan would not indulge in nuclear proliferation under any circumstances.

Aslam Beg said in the presence of a clear cut government policy of non-proliferation, he could not have carried such a message. Commenting on the issue of nuclear scientists' debriefings, Gen Beg said it was beyond his comprehension.

He said the president of the country should not have demoralised the nation by saying that he was under international pressure on cross-border terrorism, extremism, and nuclear non- proliferation.

"Being a leader, he should (be able to) sustain the pressure. These scientists have done so much for the country by providing a nuclear deterrence. They don't deserve this." he added.