Islamabad:
Pakistan today described as "false and baseless" the Afghan government's allegation that it had evidence of former president Burhanuddin Rabbani's assassination being planned on the outskirts of Quetta where key Taliban leaders are based. (
Read: Afghan leader gives up trying to talk to Taliban; blames Pakistan for Rabbani's assassination)
Pakistan's Information Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan made the remarks while talking to reporters on the sidelines of an official function in Islamabad.
"The Afghan allegations that Pakistan is behind the assassination of former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani are totally unfounded and baseless," she said.
She said all allegations levelled by certain countries against Pakistan in the past had proved to be wrong and the fresh allegations too would "meet the same fate".
Former Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf too has rubbished the Afghan claims and said: "Pakistan is the greatest loser in losing Rabbani and I think here US is making a big blunder by including India and keeping Pakistan out . Pakistan is under compulsion to look after its own interests. What effect will pro-India or India-influenced decision on Afghanistan have on pakistan?''
The Foreign Office and other departments are examining the issue and will soon give a formal reply that would be shared with the media, she said.
Pakistan is using all its energies to fight terrorism to ensure durable peace in the region, she said.
Earlier in the day, Afghanistan's intelligence service said it had given Pakistan "strong evidence" that Rabbani's assassination was planned in the southern outskirts of Quetta where key Taliban leaders are based.
Lutifullah Mashal, a spokesman for the Afghan intelligence service, told a news conference in Kabul: "The place where Professor Rabbani's killing was planned is a town called Satellite near Quetta, Pakistan... The key person involved in the assassination of Rabbani has been arrested and he has provided lots of strong evidence about where and how it was planned".