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Pakistan clarifies on sending troops

Nirupama Subramanian

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's decision to send 10,000 additional troops to its border with Afghanistan was made well before the June 27 visit of United States Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, the Foreign Ministry has said.

"... in addition to the already stationed troops, 10,000 more were deployed in the border areas about a month ago. At the press conference with U.S. Secretary of State, the Foreign Minister had referred to this deployment," a Foreign Office statement on Friday clarified.

Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri said at the press conference that Pakistan had 80,000 troops in the region.

Federal Interior Minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao on Friday said Pakistan would not deploy additional forces along the Durand Line.

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