WASHINGTON, June 21: Pakistan on Sunday strongly rejected insinuations made by the 9/11 Commission that Pakistan, in any way, was involved with the perpetration of the horrific 9/11 attacks.

"This is pure speculation," said deputy chief of mission at the Pakistan embassy, adding: "We emphatically reject it." "The unchecked succession of events in Afghanistan had led to the tragic events of 9/11."

Mohammad Sadiq, the embassy official, was commenting on reports which had tried to implicate Pakistan as being among those countries alleged to have supported or funded the people involved in 9/11 attacks.

Pakistan, he reminded, had itself been a victim of terrorism, and that it was waging a war against terrorism "much before the astounding 9/11 attacks." "It is unfortunate," he said, "that those offering such unfortunate comments conveniently forget that Pakistan has suffered more than any other country in the fight against global terrorism."

"It is unfortunate that some people have the tendency to blame the victim," Mr Sadiq asserted. "It, in fact, is a knee-jerk approach to a difficult and complicated phenomenon which developed over a long period of time, due to the short sighted policy decisions by international actors, who had walked away from the Afghan theatre," he said.

"The withdrawal of international community from the region with the end of Soviet occupation provided a fertile ground for the growth of warlords, narco-barons, Taliban and Al Qaeda."

As far as the issue of recognition of the Taliban government by Pakistan was concerned, he recalled that "Pakistan has always maintained its presence in Kabul." He said: "We have a long, porous border with Afghanistan, and it is not possible for us not to be represented in Kabul."

"Afghanistan has always been very important for Pakistan," he said, adding: "Pakistan maintained its embassy in Kabul even during the Soviet occupation." The DCM recalled that, historically, Pakistan had recognized all governments in Kabul, including the Taliban government.

It did not, however, mean that Pakistan agreed with the policies of the Taliban regime." "We did try to persuade the Taliban to comply with the UN resolutions and international norms on terrorism," he added. -APP