ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Sept. 9 (UPI) -- Pakistan strongly rejected reports alleging that top al Qaida leaders, including Osama bin Laden, had moved into Pakistani tribal areas.
The pan-Arab Al Jazeera television network recently reported several members of the al Qaida leadership were hiding in northwestern Pakistan. Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Aziz Ahmed Khan on Monday rejected the report as "fabricated and baseless.
A correspondent for Al Jazeera television network said he was flown into Karachi for an interview with key al Qaida leaders. Al Jazeera said it will broadcast the interview on Sept. 11, the first anniversary of attacks on New York and Washington. U.S. officials say the attacks were carried out by al Qaida operatives.
Khan pointed out that Pakistan is a member of the coalition against terrorism. It is making efforts not to allow any terrorist to enter Pakistan or find a haven. He said if some al Qaida members cross from Afghanistan, they would be apprehended.
Khan also rejected as "baseless" a Pakistani newspaper report on Monday, saying U.S. troops and their Afghan allies frequently crossed into Pakistan, without official permission, in their hunt for al Qaida and Taliban suspects.
