ISLAMABAD - The architect of Pakistans nuclear programme Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan has rubbished the allegations of backing Syria for building up its nuclear programme, terming the accusations Israels conspiracy for a justification to launch a crackdown on Syria. Ridiculous, absurd and baseless. These are the same ages old and far-fetched concocted stories that have been proved unfounded and untrue so many a times, said Dr AQ Khan when asked to comment on reports regarding his alleged involvement in Syrias reportedly abandoned nuclear programme. Syria is the last line of defence against Israel. After what they (Israel and the US) have done with Iraq, Lebanon and Libya, the only country that deters them is Syria, said the nuclear scientist during a chat with this newspaper on Friday. A news agency report says satellite images have provided UN investigators with fresh evidence that the Syrian government once worked with AQ Khan, the worlds most prolific nuclear weapons merchant. According to the news agency, the images reveal that a complex in northwest Syria appears to match Khans designs for a uranium enrichment plant that were sold to Moammar Gaddaffis government in Libya. The UNs International Atomic Energy Agency also has obtained correspondence between Khan and a Syrian government official, Muhidin Issa, who proposed scientific cooperation and a visit to Khans laboratories following Pakistans successful nuclear test in 1998, the report says. It states that Syria may have been pursuing two routes to an atomic bomb: uranium as well as plutonium. IAEA investigators had already said they believe that a Syrian site bombed by Israeli warplanes in 2007 was a plutonium production reactor. During Fridays conversation, Dr Khan regretted what he termed as 'one-sided propaganda against him. According to Khan, his version was not incorporated in the aforesaid story nor was he even approached for a comment by the news agency, that, he said, undermined the journalistic ethics and obligations. This is totally one-sided propaganda only to pave way for Israels intervention in Syria. According to Dr AQ Khan, Hizbullah has posed a serious challenge to the interests of foreign powers in Syria and Lebanon that explains why Israel and the US are so desperate to take on Syria. Hizbullah, a militant cum political organisation has a strong presence in Lebanon and Syria. Headed by Shiite Muslim leader Hassan Nasrullah, the organisation defines its four key objectives being Israels eviction from Palestine, anti-imperialism, rule of law and supremacy of justice. Do you remember what they did in Lebanon just a few years ago? They turned that country into ashes and this time, they want to do the same with Syria, Dr Khan said referring to Israels aerial strikes on Lebanon in 2006. The Israeli fighter jets had bombarded sophisticated bombs at Lebanons capital Beirut and other cities that widely destroyed infrastructure and brought human loss following Israeli government accusations that Hizbullah militants had fired rockets from Lebanon-Israel border to kill nearly a dozen Israeli soldiers. The aerial assault continued for over a month till the UN struck a ceasefire deal between the two states. Israel termed the assault as Israel-Hizbullah war. Its not about nukes. We have had enough of this rubbish. Its about Hizbullah that keeps challenging the highhandedness of Israel. Hizbullah is active in Lebanon and Syria and both these states border Israel so you can well understand why they are out to get Hizbullah. Their accusations against me are bunch of blatant lies. Did they ever prove anything? If they have any evidence, why dont they just show? a visibly aggrieved Khan said. They lied when they attacked Iraq, they lied when they destroyed Lebanon and they would just keep on lying on one pretext or other. Where are Iraqs nuclear weapons by the way? Khan continued to say. On safety of Pakistans nuclear assets, Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan said, Our nuclear weapons are in safe hands. Those who say Pakistans nuclear programme is vulnerable are actually those who know nothing about nukes. Mr Kidwai is a capable man who knows how to abide by his responsibilities. Lieutenant General (Retd) Khalid Kidwai heads Strategic Planning Division (SPD) that directly supervises Pakistans nuclear programme. Pakistans Permanent Representative to UN Ambassador Abdullah Hussain Haroon had said Thursday that world powers stance on Pakistans nukes was unprincipled and unjustified. We expect those powers to do what they demand from us, come clean on their own nuclear programmes.