Islamabad: Taking exception to US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage's remarks that all terrorist training camps have not been dismantled in Pakistan, Islamabad today (July 16, 2004) claimed it was his "own assumption" based on "incorrect information" and "flawed intelligence."

"It was Armitage's own assumption. I think he was given incorrect information," Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri said replying to queries from opposition members in the Senate in Islamabad.

Armitage yesterday stuck to the comments he had made earlier in New Delhi saying that "I was correctly quoted yesterday (Wednesday) when I just noted that all terrorist camps have not been dismantled" in Pakistan.

Later asked for a clarification over his remarks on the terrorist camps, Armitage told ARY TV that "we think Pakistan is a great country and has a great future and we want to be the part of that great future and I think we could be helpful if the camps were dismantled."

Kasuri told the Senate that Pakistanis should also look into Armitage's remarks that human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir should end. "We should also look into his remarks about human rights violations in Kashmir."

In response to Armitage's comments, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Masood Khan told local TV networks here that US intelligence sources were "defective and flawed and unreliable."

He said it may be possible that Armitage got such reports from Indian sources.

Khan said President Pervez Musharraf has also clearly stated that nobody would be allowed to use Pakistani soil for terrorism.

"After this assurance, there is no room for any doubt or need of clarification," he told Geo TV.

He said Pakistan also expressed its concern directly to Armitage over his remarks made in New Delhi during the talks with him yesterday.

Khan said Pakistan's concern was conveyed by Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokhar during his talks with Armitage. Khokhar denied presence of such training camps in the country or any movement along the LoC and also urged the US delegation to adopt balanced and "just stance" regarding Kashmir.

However, Khokhar, who was present during the joint press conference with Armitage yesterday, did not counter the US Deputy Secretary when he said all terrorist camps have not been dismantled in Pakistan.

According to Pakistani officials, Armitage briefed the Pakistani side about his meetings with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh and Foreign Secretary Shashank and conveyed the Indian message of continuing composite and integrated process of talks with Pakistan. Armitage said the US was satisfied with the progress of the Indo-Pak composite dialogue.