Huma Aamir Malik & Agencies  --  Arab News

ISLAMABAD, 28 April 2004 — A top tribal militant accused of sheltering Al-Qaeda fighters in a rugged Pakistani region bordering Afghanistan has said that he doubts Osama Bin Laden is hiding there.

Nek Mohammad, a fugitive hunted by the Pakistani military until he struck an amnesty deal over the weekend, said in an interview published yesterday that he didn’t think senior Al-Qaeda figures would be able to hide in semiautonomous South Waziristan.

“I don’t think they would be able to hide here,” Mohammad said of the Al-Qaeda terror chief and his Egyptian deputy Ayman Al-Zawahiri, in comments carried by The News English-language daily. “South Waziristan is too small for high-profile persons,” he said, without elaborating.

Mohammad, a former Taleban commander who trained Central Asian militants linked to Al-Qaeda during the Taleban’s five-year rule, was at one stage believed to be harboring a “high-value target” as senior as Zawahiri.

Mohammad told The News that the amnesty deal did not require him to give up weapons or sign any guarantees. “There was no written agreement and no guarantees were furnished,” he was quoted as saying.

“There is no need for written accord between brothers. We have given each other word and we trust each other.”

Mohammad said none of the foreigners are “wanted” men. “There no doubt are some foreigners who came here 15 years ago, worked as tenants on fields owned by the tribesmen, married local women and lived peacefully,” he told The News.

Pakistan Army Cutting Strength to Save Finances

The Pakistan Army’s top brass yesterday approved a restructuring plan aimed at trimming the country’s armed forces by about 50,000, an official statement said.

Chaired by President Pervez Musharraf, the Formation Commanders’ two-day conference reviewed the regional security situation and also approved the down-sizing plans.

“The restructuring plan envisages the Pakistan Army to be lean but lethal...and will improve the teeth-to-tail ratio in which tail is being reduced by about 50,000 men to allow sizeable savings in funds,” the announcement said.

Leghari May Become OIC Chief

The government is actively considering to recommend the name of former President Farooq Leghari for the office of secretary-general OIC.

The office of the secretary-general at present is occupied by Morocco and its term is expiring.

The ruling circles are abuzz that the government of Pakistan is backing Leghari for the prestigious post.

These circles believe that if Pakistan presses for Leghari, he is sure to emerge as consensus candidate.