Islamabad:
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Wednesday dismissed US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's assertion that Osama bin Laden is in the country as "speculations", saying Washington should not doubt Islamabad's intention to act against the Al-Qaida leadership.
"This is not the first time that this has been said and our position has been consistent. These are speculations," Qureshi said during a joint news conference with North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
Responding to a question on Clinton's allegation that the top Al-Qaida leadership is in Pakistan and some elements the government knows this, Qureshi said: "Our position is that we are partners and allies (with the US) to achieve the same objective... Our sacrifices are second to none, so Pakistan's intentions should not be doubted."
"If there is credible information available (on the whereabouts of bin Laden and other al-Qaida leaders), then it should be shared with Pakistan," he said.
Clinton ruffled feathers in Islamabad by maintaining over the past few days that elements in the Pakistani government know where Osama is hiding inside the country.
She said the US will not be satisfied till it gets the world's most wanted fugitive.
"I think the elements in the government do (know the whereabouts of bin Laden)," she said in an interview.
Clinton said the US and its allies were getting closer to bin Laden but that she "won't be satisfied until we get it done".
In remarks that underlined the trust deficit between the two countries, Clinton said the "principal terrorist threat to the US" emanates from Pakistan.
However, Qureshi asserted that the Pakistan government was not aware of the current whereabouts of bin Laden.
"If we were aware of where the top al-Qaida leadership is in Pakistan, by now we would have reached them because we do not consider them friends of Pakistan or friends of peace," he said.
"They have been disturbing the peace of Pakistan, the region and the globe," Qureshi said.
"This is not the first time that this has been said and our position has been consistent. These are speculations," Qureshi said during a joint news conference with North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
Responding to a question on Clinton's allegation that the top Al-Qaida leadership is in Pakistan and some elements the government knows this, Qureshi said: "Our position is that we are partners and allies (with the US) to achieve the same objective... Our sacrifices are second to none, so Pakistan's intentions should not be doubted."
"If there is credible information available (on the whereabouts of bin Laden and other al-Qaida leaders), then it should be shared with Pakistan," he said.
Clinton ruffled feathers in Islamabad by maintaining over the past few days that elements in the Pakistani government know where Osama is hiding inside the country.
She said the US will not be satisfied till it gets the world's most wanted fugitive.
"I think the elements in the government do (know the whereabouts of bin Laden)," she said in an interview.
Clinton said the US and its allies were getting closer to bin Laden but that she "won't be satisfied until we get it done".
In remarks that underlined the trust deficit between the two countries, Clinton said the "principal terrorist threat to the US" emanates from Pakistan.
However, Qureshi asserted that the Pakistan government was not aware of the current whereabouts of bin Laden.
"If we were aware of where the top al-Qaida leadership is in Pakistan, by now we would have reached them because we do not consider them friends of Pakistan or friends of peace," he said.
"They have been disturbing the peace of Pakistan, the region and the globe," Qureshi said.
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