September 12, 2003	Friday	Rajab 14, 1424

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DHAKA, Sept 11: Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri dismissed speculations on Thursday that Osama bin Laden could be hiding in Pakistan.

“Had he been there the American and Pakistani intelligence services would have known it,” Kasuri told reporters in Dhaka.

Mr Kasuri said Pakistan closely cooperated with the US in its war against terror and mobilised some 70,000 troops along the Afghan border to foil the Taliban movement across the frontier.

He rejected Indian allegations that the ISI was operating in India using Bangladesh as a conduit.

“I refute the charge,” Kasuri said. “They blame us for any incident in India. They are in the habit of blaming others...but we don’t.” The minister said people in South Asia remained hostage to disputes between India and Pakistan.

“We welcome the international community, including the United States, to encourage both the nuclear capable countries of South Asia to resolve their disputes peacefully,” he said.

Mr Kasuri began a three-day visit to Bangladesh on Wednesday during, which he is to discuss bilateral and regional issues.

Though the US and Britain had asked Pakistan to join in peacekeeping and reconstruction tasks in Iraq, Pakistan would only do this under a UN mandate, he said.—Reuters