President Pervez Musharraf told a visiting US Congressional delegation Saturday there were no safe havens for terrorists on Pakistani soil, an official statement said. Musharraf also reiterated Pakistan's "strong resolve to fight extremism and terrorism" during a meeting with a US delegation led by House Republican Leader John Boehner in Rawalpindi.
Pakistan has come under mounting US pressure to crack down on al Qaeda and the Taliban following US intelligence reports that militants are using the country's rugged north-western region as a base to plan attacks across the globe.
"The president said there was no safe haven for terrorists and that Pakistan was determined not to allow its territory to be used by anyone for terrorist activity," the statement said.
Musharraf also urged US media to develop a better understanding of Pakistan's efforts in fighting terrorism, the statement said, adding that the US lawmakers appreciated the country's efforts in that area. In recent weeks, some US officials have alleged senior al Qaeda leaders were continuing to operate from "secure hideouts" in Pakistan. Islamabad denies the charge.
Pakistan says it has arrested more than 700 al Qaeda operatives since the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. It has also deployed around 90,000 troops to hunt down al Qaeda fugitives who crossed the border after the ouster of the fundamentalist Taliban in late 2001. Nearly 800 Pakistani soldiers have died in clashes with militants.