Disgraced Pakistani nuclear scientist A.Q. Khan has taken strong exception to reports that the Swiss government destroyed sensitive documents seized from a Swiss national said to be a member of Khan's nuclear black market.

In a written interview delivered through a family friend, Khan told Kyodo News the information destroyed by the Swiss government would have gone "a long way" in proving his innocence of charges that he had supplied nuclear technology and information to North Korea, Libya and Iran.

"The documents revealed that all the information which I am accused of proliferating was available with the suppliers. It proved that the Western suppliers from Switzerland, Germany and South Africa all had complete details on nuclear weapons. They provided this technology to all who were willing to pay," Khan said.

"Yes, the documents would have gone a long way in proving my innocence," he wrote.

According to media reports, the Swiss government destroyed documents recovered from an Urs Tinner, who had supervised the designing and manufacturing of centrifuge components for the Libyan uranium enrichment program.

The components were seized on board a Libya-bound vessel in October 2003 and immediately after the seizure Tinner resigned from his job in Malaysia.

He was arrested in Switzerland where prosecutors are reported to be planning his trial.

An Associated Press report from Bern quoted the Zurich daily Tages- Anzeiger as saying last Friday that Tinner was recruited by U.S. intelligence while he was part of Khan's proliferation network.

It also said the documents were destroyed by the Swiss last year under pressure from the United States.

The documents were destroyed under supervision of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency.

Khan has confessed to supplying nuclear technology and information to North Korea, Iran and Libya, but he was pardoned by President Pervez Musharraf for his services to Pakistan's own nuclear program.

He lives under virtual house arrest and only a handful of family members and friends are allowed to meet him.

Khan has told friends that he was pressured to make the confession in the "greater national interest."

Meanwhile, the 10th anniversary of Pakistan's nuclear tests at Chaghai was observed all over Pakistan.

In Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan Province, a few hundred people protested against the nuclear tests.

They claim that people living in the vicinity of Chaghai were showing signs of radiation and agriculture was adversely affected.

In Islamabad, security officials stopped nearly 300 students from heading towards the Khan residence.

Elsewhere, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif called for impeachment of Musharraf for subverting the Constitution and other crimes, including "meting out humiliation to nuclear scientist Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan and deposed Chief Justice Iftkhar Mohammad Chaudri."

Speaking in Lahore to mark the nuclear tests, Sharif claimed that Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Asif Zardari has also agreed to oust Musharraf.

"Zardari said 'yes' to my demand yesterday" that Musharraf should not be given safe exit, he told a cheering crowd.

Sharif was prime minister when Pakistan carried out nuclear tests on May 28 and May 30, 1998 in response to Indian tests on May 11.

"I congratulate Dr. A.Q. Khan. I congratulate Pakistani scientists," Sharif said.