indian-soldier-AFP-670
An Indian soldier heads back after lighting a smoke canister during the Shoor Veer military exercise near Hanumangarh, located near the India-Pakistan border, May 3, 2012. — Photo by AFP

KARACHI: The Indian defence ministry denied a report published in a Pakistan-based newspaper saying that the country had agreed to pull back troops from the India-Pakistan border as part of an agreement between the two countries, The Economic Times said in a report published Tuesday.

The ministry referred to the report quoting unnamed diplomatic and military officials as "propaganda".

A statement issued from the ministry said: "The report published in The Express Tribune (Islamabad edition) on May 14 that ‘India may move troops to peacetime locations’ is completely incorrect and without any basis. There are no such plans."

The report had claimed that the agreement for troop withdrawal was struck during President Asif Ali Zardari's visit to India on April 8.

The report moreover stated that an announcement on troop withdrawal was "likely" to be made when Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visits Islamabad later this year.

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