Islamabad, Feb 08 US Secretary of State Collin Powell is expected to visit Pakistan and meet President Pervez Musharraf soon to discuss the nuclear proliferation probe, a government official said today. Powell spoke to Musharraf yesterday by telephone about the sale of sensitive nuclear information by the country's top scientist, Abdul Qadeer Khan, revered as the father of Pakistan's nuclear bomb and pardoned by the government for his actions.

''During the conversation President Musharraf asked Powell to visit Pakistan, and he said he would do so quite soon,'' the official, who wished not to be named, told media. In a dramatic televised confession on Wednesday, Khan said he acted independently in leaking secrets as head of Pakistan's nuclear programme from the 1970's. His admission came after two months of an investigation by Pakistan.

The English-language daily Dawn said Powell would visit this month, but the official said dates had yet to be fixed for the visit.

"Powell commended the Government of Pakistan's actions and expressed satisfaction over the manner of these investigations,'' the official said. ''Pakistan is a responsible nuclear state and will continue to cooperate.'' Another local newspaper said Powell expressed US President George W Bush's concern about the role of Pakistani scientists in nuclear proliferation to Iran, Libya and North Korea and also urged Pakistan to share more information.

Bureau Report