ISLAMABAD, May 10: Pakistan on Thursday made it amply clear that only its security forces were responsible for any military action against Al Qaeda and other militants who may have taken refuge in the tribal areas.

Reacting to the US Secretary of Defence’s statement that American military missions were in Pakistan’s tribal areas to pursue Al Qaeda activists hiding there, Foreign Office Spokesperson Tasnim Aslam stated: “As regards military action Pakistan’s security forces are solely responsible for such action in our territory,” adding: “However, there is security cooperation and intelligence-sharing between our security forces and Nato-led ISAF.”

N-CAPABLE MISSILES: Meanwhile, the government downplayed a report by an organisation of American scientists that Pakistan is preparing its next generation nuclear-capable ballistic missile for deployment.