The World - News from July 16, 1987

The State Department sought an explanation from Pakistan for an alleged plot to export materials from the United States that could be used to develop a Pakistani nuclear bomb. Department spokesman Charles Redman said the Administration is “taking seriously our responsibilities” under a law that could require a cutoff of U.S. aid to Pakistan if the charges are true. Undersecretary of State Michael H. Armacost met with Pakistan’s ambassador to discuss Arshad Z. Pervez, a Pakistani-born Toronto businessman accused of attempting to bribe U.S. Customs agents so he could buy beryllium and a specialty metal called maraging 350 steel for shipment to Islamabad. Pakistan has denied that it is developing nuclear weapons.