Detained nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan said on Sunday that he took the blame for passing atomic secrets to Iran, North Korea and Libya four years ago to “save his country”. “I saved the country for the first time when I made Pakistan a nuclear nation and saved it again when I confessed and took the whole blame on myself,” Khan told AFP. “Even Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Mushahid Hussain said I saved Pakistan by accepting the whole blame myself.” Members of the new government have indicated that they may consider freeing Khan, but Khan said he had had no contact with them. “No government official has so far contacted me about my release nor I would contact any of them to do so,” Khan said. “You had better ask this question of the government.”