RAWALPINDI: Pakistan's military strongly denied on Thursday a BBC report that alleged the Pakistani military, along with its intelligence arm, supplied and protected the Afghan Taliban and al Qaeda.
A number of middle-ranking Taliban commanders detailed what they said was extensive Pakistani support in interviews for a BBC Two documentary series, the first part of which was broadcast on Wednesday.
"We consider that this report is highly biased, it is one-sided, it doesn't have the version of the side which is badly hit or affected by this report," Major General Athar Abbas, spokesman for the Pakistani military, told Reuters.
"So therefore, other than that, it's factually incorrect."
One Taliban commander, Mullah Qaseem, told the BBC Pakistan had played a significant role in providing supplies and a hiding place for Afghan Taliban fighters.
Abbas denied the claim, questioning Qaseem's credibility.
He said the head of ISI had already said "not a single bullet or financial support" had been given to groups named in the BBC report.
Abbas said the number of attacks against the ISI by the Pakistani Taliban ? about 300 ISI officials have been killed in bombings ? was proof the ISI did not support militants.
Copyright Reuters, 2011
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