ISLAMABAD, Feb 22: Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat said on Sunday that Pakistan's para-military troops had been deployed on Pakistan-Afghan border to nab Osama bin Laden who, he said, was reported to be in the vicinity of north-south Waziristan.

Meanwhile, armed forces spokesman Maj-Gen Shaukat Sultan dismissed as 'ridiculous' and 'totally baseless' reports that Osama had been 'cornered' in Toba Kakar mountains north of Quetta or any additional troops were being deployed for a hot operation against Taliban or Bin Laden in north-western Pakistan.

Responding to a question about location of Osama bin Ladin in an area north of Quetta, Maj-Gen Shaukat Sultan said a foreign newspaper had reported it but these were merely media reports.

The British newspaper, the Sunday Express, reported that US and British special forces had cornered Osama bin Ladin inside an area of 16 kilometres North of the town of Khanozai and the city of Quetta.

"No foreign troops are in that area," Maj-Gen Shaukat Sultan said. The interior minister, on the other hand, said that Frontier Conbstabulary with back-up from a brigade of army would conduct the search operation to apprehend Bin Laden and other Al Qaeda elements. The operation, he said, would be kicked off "within the next 24 hours".

He said the army brigade would not be involved in the operation but would stand-by for back-up if requested by the local administration. There have been reports that the US had asked Pakistan to facilitate "landing of US troops in the NWFP and Balochistan to hunt for Taliban and the 'tall man' (Osama)."

The reports also said a terrain survey for US operations in Balochistan and NWFP had already been carried out. When asked if any request had been received from the US government, Maj-Gen Sultan said no such request had been received. If there is a requirement for carrying out any operation, that would be determined and done by the Pakistani forces, the spokesman said.

Chairman of the US Joint Chief of Staff Gen Richard Meyers is reported to have said that US forces were engaged in 'intense' efforts to capture Osama. However, the US General stopped short of saying whether the 'intense' operations were being carried out inside Afghanistan or in Pakistani territory.

In response to a question if any additional para-military troops were being sent to the tribal areas, federal interior secretary, Tasneem Noorani, said Frontier Corps and civil armed forces were already in that area.

The interior ministry did not receive any request for additional deployment of para-military forces in tribal areas from the political administration, Mr Noorani said. He dismissed as 'totally baseless' reports that Bin Ladin's hideout had been located on the outskirts of Quetta.

When asked if 8,000 para-military troops were being sent to the tribal areas in addition to the 4,000 already stationed there on request from the political administration, Maj-Gen Shaukat Sultan said requirements for operational deployment were determined by the military authorities and no such request had been received from the political administration of tribal areas.