Pakistan says it began questioning its nuclear scientists, including the father of its atomic bomb, Abdul Qadeer Khan, after the UN nuclear agency began investigating possible links between the Pakistani and Iranian nuclear programs.

Musharraf told CNN while attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that the investigation, launched in November, would be finished in "a few weeks."

Asked the likely outcome, he replied: "Well, I would not like to predict, but it appears that some individuals, as I said, were involved for personal financial gain."

Musharraf went further than past statements from his government that individual scientists "may" have transferred nuclear technology to neighboring Iran.

He said similar allegations had been made against European individuals and countries, "So it is not Pakistan alone."

And he stressed: "There is no such evidence that any government personality or military personality was involved in this at all."

Asked about reports that Pakistani scientists had also transferred technology to Libya and North Korea, he replied:

"I am not denying anything because we are investigating; we have sent teams to Libya, we have sent teams to Iran and we are in contact with the IAEA (the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency). We are collecting all the data..."

He vowed "stern action" against violators: "There is nothing that we want to hide, we want to be very up and clear about it that we will move against anybody who proliferated," he said.

Pakistan would move against any violator "because they are enemies of the state," he said.

The United States suspects Iran of seeking to build a nuclear bomb under cover of an atomic energy program Tehran insists is purely peaceful.

Nuclear programmes in Iran, North Korea and Libya have all intensified Western concern that one or more of the countries could join the "nuclear club," although Libya announced late last year it would cooperate with the United States and Britain in dismantling its weapons programs.

IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei was asked in Davos on Thursday about reports that nuclear know-how and technology may have reached Iran or Libya from Pakistan and replied:

"I think what we know is that there have been individuals involved. I do not want to jump to conclusions and say a government is involved."

Two Dutch ministers said on Monday there were "indications" North Korea and Libya may have acquired potentially arms-related nuclear technology developed by British-Dutch-German consortium Urenco that Pakistan and Iran are known to possess.