Pakistan rejects US allegations against spy agency

Updated: 2011-09-22 23:14

(Xinhua)

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ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Thursday dismissed US accusations that the country's spy agency is using the al-Qaida- linked Haqqani network for a proxy war in neighboring Afghanistan.

US officials have accused Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) for having links with the Haqqani network, which they blamed for the September 13 attacks on the US embassy and NATO headquarters in Kabul. Five Afghan policemen and 10 civilians were killed in the brazen attack.

Speaking at the regular weekly briefing on Thursday, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Tehmina Janjua said Pakistan has no cooperation with the Haqqani network and was not fighting any war through the Haqqanis in Afghanistan.

Earlier US officials had claimed that there was mounting evidence that the ISI had been encouraging the Haqqani network to attack targets in Afghanistan.

The US leveled the allegations at a time when the US Senate Appropriations Committee passed a bill that makes "all" US financial assistance to the Government of Pakistan privy to conditions of cooperation against the Hqqani network and other terror groups associated with al-Qaida.

According to a press release issued by the committee, the Senate Thursday passed the Department of State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations bill for the fiscal year 2012 by a 28-2 vote in favor.

The bill makes available $161.4 million for State Department operations in Pakistan, but "does not specify amounts for assistance for Pakistan." The committee also voted to provide one billion dollars for the Pakistan Counterinsurgency Capability Fund.

On the assassination of Afghan peace council head, Prof. Burhanuddin Rabbani, the Foreign Office spokesperson said with Rabbani's death, the people of Afghanistan had "lost a visionary leader and one of the strongest proponents of peace," while Pakistan had "lost a friend and a true partner for peace."

"The people of Pakistan mourn with the Afghan government this tragic loss. Terrorism and violence only reinforce the resolve of the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan to defeat and eliminate terrorism and to continue to work for reconciliation and peace in Afghanistan," she said.

A suicide bomber with explosives hidden in his turban killed Rabbani, the head of the Afghan High Peace Council, at his home in Kabul on Tuesday.

Rabbani was the latest victim in a string of high-profile assassinations in Afghanistan and his death is being seen as a major blow to the nascent effort to begin negotiations with the Afghan Taliban.