ISLAMABAD, Dec 14: Interior Minister Lt-Gen (retd) Moinuddin Haider on Friday claimed that neither Osama bin Laden nor any Al Qaeda leader have sought refuge in Pakistan.

Talking to newsmen after a meeting here at Capital Development Authority office, the minister refuted the claim of US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld that Osama was in Pakistan.

He said US Foreign Secretary Colin Powell had confirmed in his statement that Osama was not in Pakistan and nobody knew his whereabouts.

However, Rumsfeld was giving contrary statements. “Both US secretaries should first decide what the truth is and only then release such kind of statements,” Mr Moin said.

He said in order to check the influx of Afghans and other nationals from Afghanistan, the government had set up some 300 checkpoints on Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

“This is for the first time in Pakistan’s history that such a big number of checkpoints have been established in the border area,” he added.

Responding to a question, he said a large contingent of Pakistani troops had also been deployed in the tribal areas bordering Torkham, Chaman and other cities.

After taking these precautionary measures, there is no question of Osama or any other leader of Al Qaeda sneaking into Pakistan.

He claimed that some six per cent of the total Afghan refugees in Pakistan had gone back to Afghanistan.

“As the reconstruction process is completed in Afghanistan all the refugees will return. This may makes six months,” the minister hoped.

When asked if the Afghan refugees in Pakistan refuse to go back, the minister said “we would launch a comprehensive campaign to check the presence of illegal immigrants in the country, including Afghans.”

“We would check the required documents and visas of foreign nationals during the course of the drive and those failing to produce such papers will be dealt with according to the law.

The minister was of the view that at least $10 billion were required for the reconstruction of war-battered Afghanistan.

Responding to a question about ban on some Madaris, Mr Moin said it was the duty of the religious ministry to take any decision about them. However, the ministry of interior would assist the ministry of religious affairs in this regard.