12 December 2004	Sunday	29 Shawwal 1425

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ISLAMABAD, Dec 11: The foreign office on Saturday denied reports that the leader of opposition in the National Assembly, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, had been mistreated during his visit to France in October and that the Pakistani mission in Paris had failed to protest the incident.

"Both these assertions are incorrect and have been made without ascertaining the veracity of the reports and the sequence of events," a foreign office spokesman said in a statement.

According to the spokesman, Maulana Fazl reportedly went to France for a day-long private visit on Oct 20 and after the visit he left Paris without any incident to his person. Neither the French authorities made any contact with Maulana Fazl nor did he contact the Pakistan mission, the spokesman said.

"The question of giving assistance to Maulana Fazlur Rehman did not arise, because the French authorities did not make any ... declaration about him or harass him in any manner ...," he said.-APP