Pak refutes US claim of Al-Qaeda's presence on its soil

Islamabad, Apr.10 (ANI): Pakistan has refuted claims made by the United States about the presence of top Al-Qaeda leaders on its soil, saying it has not received any credible evidence regarding it.

"We have not come across any authentic intelligence which would indicate that Al Qaeda leadership is in Pakistan, and we do not attach importance to speculations," The Daily Times quoted Foreign Office (FO) spokesman Abdul Basit, as saying.

It may be noted that US Vice President Joe Biden, earlier this week, had said that Osama Bin Laden along with other top Al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders are hiding in Pakistan's ungoverned tribal areas along the Afghan border.

"In the FATA, the western part of Pakistan in the mountains on the Afghan border, that is a war on terror. That's where al-Qaida lives. That's where bin Laden is. That's where the most radicalized part of the Taliban is," Biden had said.

Commenting on the US led drone strikes on militant hideouts along the Afghan border, Basit said that the missile hits have achieved certain tactical gains, but reiterated that they were proving 'counterproductive' and is against Pakistan's sovereignty.

"We cannot condone these attacks," he added.

Commenting on the arrests of several Pakistani nationals in Britain recently, Basit said the Pakistan High Commission in London was gathering details about the incident, and would soon come out with the details. (ANI)