President Pervez Musharraf on Friday rejected the impression that there was "increasing pressure" from the United States on Pakistan during the past few months to capture or kill Osama bin Laden. "There is absolutely no pressure," Musharraf said, noting: "It's a joint responsibility of the whole coalition, and also Pakistan, to eliminate terrorism from Pakistan."
He said this in an interview with Cable News Network (CNN), telecast on Friday.
President Musharraf said that he had little doubt that Osama bin Laden was still alive, and dispelled the claim that action against bin Laden was not being taken.
"Not at all. I'm sure if you ask your own intelligence organisations here, they would know the truth, how much they get from our intelligence organisation," he added
The President said he was "reasonably sure" that bin Laden was still alive.
He said the reason bin Laden was still at large was a combination of the terrain where he disappeared - in remote eastern Afghanistan or border tribal area - and that "he has supporters" in the area where he was hiding.
According to CNN, he was "less enthusiastic" in his support for the US war in Iraq, saying: "I would say that it has ended up bringing more trouble to the world."
President Musharraf also said that because of the situation in Iraq, he did not foresee Pakistan sending troops there.