Causes that led to nuclear proliferation from Pakistan to Iran, Libya, and North Korea: Investigating the role of the Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan network

The activities of Dr. A. Q. Khan and his network constitute the most severe loss of control over nuclear technology in modern times. The dissertation addresses this key international security concern---understanding why AQ Khan sold nuclear technology to Iran, North Korea and Libya---with at least partial authorization from senior Pakistani military and civil officials. The research question posed to investigate the topic is: "What explains the proliferation of nuclear technology from Pakistan to North Korea, Iran and Libya?";It is argued that the AQ Khan nuclear proliferation activities were a consequence and product of various factors - and though AQ Khan operated as the manager in chief of this venture, other players within Pakistan as well as outside were also involved in this process. By no means can it be labeled as a one-man operation. The potential key factors leading to nuclear proliferation include insecurity vis-a-vis India, bureaucratic politics and perennial political instability within Pakistan, weak state structures that were conveniently manipulated by nationalist and extremist ideologies and finally lack of accountability for nuclear program. Turbulent U.S. - Pakistan relations and the resultant lack of mutual trust was also a potent factor in this scheme of things.;By and large, the debate surrounding this topic is primarily revolving around whether AQ Khan was a rogue actor or if state sponsorship was the defining issue in this episode. Among those focused solely on AQ Khan, some ascribe his twisted religious orientation as a source of inspiration while others suspect that his political ambitions were at play. Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf claims that personal greed of A Q Khan was the central factor in this context. In this reference, there is a dearth of academic research on the subject and the available work deals with the issue inadequately. This study endeavors to fill this gap.