Top US defence official claims Pak reassured him it won't fire on US troops

Washington, Sept 27 : A top US defence official has reportedly claimed that Pakistan had reassured him that its troops had no intention of using force against the US troops along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

"I've been given assurance by the senior military leadership in Pakistan that there is certainly no intent or plan to fire on (US) forces," said Admiral Michael Mullen, the Chairman US Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Addressing a Pentagon news conference, he said that he received the reassurance last week during a visit to Pakistan, reported The News.

He said that he had no reason to believe that the relationship had changed as a result of an incident along the border on Thursday that sparked a brief ground conflict with the Pakistani troops. "Pakistan naturally reserves the right to defend itself but was committed to cooperating with the US military," he said and sought to ease tensions with Pakistan after the incident on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

He further said: "Now, more than ever was time for calm cooperation. Now more than ever is a time for teamwork, for calm. It is time to recognise that we all - Pakistan, Afghanistan, America and others in the region - share a stake in the safe and secure Pakistan. Despite the violence of the last few days, it is why I remain convinced that Pakistan's military leaders understand the nature of the threat and are working hard to eliminate it."

ANI