Pakistan has received a formal request from the International Atomic Energy Agency to send components of a 'discarded' centrifuge for analysis.

"The request comes a day after Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf [Images] said they planned to send nuclear centrifuges to the agency for investigation relating to Iran's nuclear programme," Pakistan Foreign office spokesman Jalil Abbas Jilani was quoted in the Dawn daily on Friday.

The examination was in connection with revelations that Pakistan's disgraced nuclear scientist A Q Khan was involved in supplying centrifuges to Iran, whose nuclear programme is currently being investigated by IAEA following strong objections from the United States.

Jilani, who had earlier said Pakistan had not received any request from IAEA nor would send any centrifuges, confirmed that the request had been made but remained evasive on when it was received.

Musharraf had said in a television interview on Thursday that Pakistan was considering dispatching parts of centrifuges to Vienna for examination.

"To end the issue once and for all we want to send nuclear centrifuges to Vienna for inspection and the matter is under consideration," he said.