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                      Pakistan Rejects Panetta Allegations

   by VOA News

   Pakistan has rejected the U.S. defense secretary's allegations that it
   has allowed militants to use Pakistan to stage attacks on U.S. forces
   in neighboring Afghanistan.

   Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement Saturday that Leon
   Panetta "is oversimplifying some very complex issues."

   The statement said Panetta's remarks, made this week in Kabul, were
   "misplaced and unhelpful in bringing about peace and stability in the
   region."

   The Foreign Ministry said Pakistan has repeatedly announced "it will
   not allow its territory to be used against any country, nor will it
   allow safe havens."

   Panetta said stabilization efforts in Afghanistan would remain
   difficult as long as militants had safe havens in Pakistan.

   The Pakistani Foreign Ministry said it is following a "well thought-out
   strategy to eradicate extremism and terrorism, and will follow its own
   timeline."

   Relations between Islamabad and Washington have been strained over a
   host of issues recently, including Pakistan's closing the border to
   NATO trucks in response to the killing of 24 Pakistani troops by NATO
   forces.


   Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
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References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/pakistan-rejects-panetta-allegations/1205333.html