ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rehman Malik said on Sunday that Haqqani network was created and trained by Central Intelligence Agency of the United States.

Talking to reporters at a ceremony held by Islamabad police in connection with the seizure of a large cache of weapons, the minister said: “The Haqqanis have no links with Pakistan and they are operating from Afghanistan. Those claiming otherwise should give a credible evidence of its presence in Pakistan.”

The interior minister’s statement came in response to the US allegations that the Pakistan government and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) had close links with the network and were complicit in the attacks on US interests inside Afghanistan.

Mr Malik said Pakistan never blamed the CIA or Afghanistan directly over various attacks in Mohmand Agency or other areas in Pakistan. The government, he said, was determined to eliminate terrorism and the future of Pakistan was safe because of the unity of the nation against this menace.

“Any aggression from the outside or mischievous activity from the inside will not be tolerated. Pakistan’s sovereignty will never be compromised and everyone will stand with the Pakistan army and law-enforcement agencies to counter any challenge,” he said.

He said that no compromise would be made on Pakistan’s sovereignty because the country suffered a loss of $68 billion in the fight against terrorism.

Mr Malik called for a strong immigration system on the Pakistan-Afghan border and urged the international community not to forget Pakistan’s sacrifices in the fight against terrorism. “No one will be allowed to enter into Pakistan without immigration,” he said.

Answering a question about the cross-border infiltration of terrorists, the minister said: “We have been asking the Afghan government for last three years for installation of biometric system on the border to stop movement of terrorists but the neighbouring country does not respond.”

He said the government was fully cooperating with the US but even then it was being blamed for patronising the militants.

Mr Malik said that Pakistan was promised for capacity building of security forces but only a meagre support was extended in that regard.

“I appreciate President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani for providing Rs5 billion to enhance the efficiency of law-enforcement agencies in Sindh,” he said.

He said that several areas, including cooperation in the fight against terrorism, capacity building, drug smuggling and other issues would be discussed with the Chinese deputy prime minister and other officials at high level.

The minister said that some terrorists wanted to disrupt peace in Islamabad by attacking important buildings and information regarding them would be shared with the media after their arrest.

He said that Islamabad Police had foiled a bid to smuggle a large cache of arms, including six mini machine guns, 14 Kalashnikovs, four 12 bore pump action, one 12 bore double barrel, one sniper rifle and over 30,000 rounds from a vehicle near Motorway interchange.