LAHORE: Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid claimed on Tuesday that he and two other leaders were the only leading figures of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) who favoured conducting nuclear tests on May 28, 1998, and those taking credit today played no role in this regard.

Responding to a journalist`s question later, the minister said he was abroad at the time of the nuclear tests carried out at Chagai, Balochistan, during the second government of the PML-N.

`I want to tell the nation on oath that it was myself, Raja Zafarul Haq and Gohar Ayub who supported conducting the nuclear tests.

The entire cabinet including Nawaz Sharif was against it but we delivered speeches and changed the mood of the cabinet. I am telling this just to inform the younger generation about this issue,` the minister told a press conference at the Pakistan Railways` headquarters.

When asked by a journalist how could he make the claim since hewas not present in the country at the time, Sheikh Rashid said: `My nature of job was that I needed to go abroad. But I was in the loop and the only political worker who went to Iran in this regard. Moreover, I also met Qadhafi.

`I am also writing a book. But please keep the national secrets as secrets and I don`t want to say more,` he said.

Some years ago, Mr Rashid had told a TV channel that he was so frightened of the nuclear tests that he went abroad the morning Pakistan became a declared nuclear power in May 1998.

`I was so afraid because I got information when and where it [nuclear testsj was going to happen... believe me I took a morning flight and left [the country]. I was so terrified that it`s such a sensitive issue that I went abroad [may itna khofzada tha ke itna hassas masta hai, kaheen koi patakha aagay peechay na ho jaye, koi leakage na ho jaye, he may Pakistan se chala gaya ] , he had said.

Claim rejected Senior PML-N leaders rejected Mr Rashid`s claim and said it was Nawaz Sharif who decided to carry out nuclear blasts. `Credit of nuclear tests goes to former premier Nawaz Sharif. And he cannot be deprived of this credit,` said PML-N leader Raja Zafarul Haq in a statement. He rejected SheikhRashid`s claim that Nawaz Sharif had opposed the tests.

`The decision about nuclear tests could not have been taken without his (Nawaz) consent,` he said.

PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah reportedly said Mr Rashid himself admitted on Saturday that he had gone abroad at the time of nuclear tests. `He (Rashid) admitted that he had gone abroad at the time of nuclear tests,` he said.

`Imran Khan, Khusro Bakhtiar and Tareen are wheat flour and sugar thieves... Both Imran Khan and Sheikh Rashid tell lies and are known for taking U-turns,` Mr Sanaullah said.

The railways minister said he had decided in a meeting to add 10 more trains to provide affordable travelling facility to the passengers.

`Thirty trains (15 Up and Down) had been running before Eid. But keeping in view the rush of passengers, we have decided to run another 10 trains. These include Sir Syed Express, Karachi Express, Shalimar Express, Bahauddin Zakaria Express and Railcar,` he added.

The minister said he had requested the Punjab chief minister to allow opening of businesses for five days a week instead of four days. `I have told him since many business people travel to Lahore on Friday by train, the government should keep the businesses open from Monday to Friday,` he said.