DarkTimes - 24Hr Global News Blog

Islamabad, 17 Dec. (AKI/Asian Age) - Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf says that al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden may be hiding in the Bajaur Agency on the Afghani border.

"No one knows exactly where Osama is but he must be somewhere in the Bajaur Agency. This is the tribal agency bordering Kunar province, where there were no coalition forces in the past," Musharraf said.

Bajaur is a mountainous region in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan that borders Aghanistan's Kunar province.

Musharraf said his government was committed to eliminate terrorism from the country and will continue to play its role in the international war on terror.

In a US media interview reported in the Indian daily, The Asian Age, Musharraf said army action against terrorists in the tribal areas had been fruitful.

He said there had been improvement since a government security initiative that began in the Swat Valley in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) six weeks ago.

"Terrorism that had spread into the settled districts of north and south of NWFP has now been stopped. I can proudly say that the back of terrorists in Swat has now been broken," he said.

Addressing the nation on TV and radio after lifting emergency rule on Saturday, Musharraf said the terror network has been defeated.

"There has been a considerable improvement in the past 42 days and terrorists who had spread into the settled districts (of NWFP) have now been either eliminated or pushed out," he said. "The back of terrorists in Swat has now been broken. They are on the run."

Musharraf lauded the role of the Pakistan Army, the civil armed forces and the people of Swat who extended full cooperation to the armed forces in tackling terrorism.

The president vowed to hold free, fair and transparent elections on time - scheduled for 8 January.

He also urged the political parties and the nation to avoid the politics of "agitation". He said all the political parties were free to run their election campaign across the country according to the rules made by the Election Commission of Pakistan.

However, the president made it clear that "no person or political party will be allowed agitational politics".

Calling Saturday an important day when the constitution was being fully restored, the president said the elections would be fair and transparent and everyone will be equally free to participate in the election campaign.

"It is my commitment to the entire nation and the world that the election on January 8 will be on time and will be absolutely free and transparent," he said.

Musharraf regretted that some political parties have announced that they will boycott the election. "These parties have no reason to boycott the election," he said.

He said some political leaders, even before the start of the election campaign, have started talking of rigging.

"This is all baseless and they must desist from it," he said.

Musharraf said, "I wish to appeal to all the political parties to maintain peace during the election, run the election campaign with full vigour, but avoid levelling allegations. I appeal to the entire Pakistani nation not to participate in any street agitation and agitational politics. If any individual, group, or political party incites someone towards agitation, then they must not be a part of it."