Islamabad: Pakistan today angrily rejected Afghanistan's allegation that its spy agency ISI masterminded an assassination bid on President Hamid Karzai, accusing Kabul of "reigniting the blame-game" and undermining efforts by both countries to counter terrorism.

Afghan intelligence agency spokesman's yesterday claimed that the Inter-Services Intelligence agency was involved in the attempt on Karzai s life on April 27.

"Pakistan rejects these baseless and irresponsible allegations and the attitude and proclivity behind them," Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Sadiq said here.

Such accusations are "ill-considered" and would not "help the war on terror" being waged by both Pakistan and Afghanistan, he told a weekly news briefing.

Three Afghans, including a parliamentarian, were killed when militants attacked an annual military parade attended by Karzai, who escaped unhurt.

The Afghan intelligence agency spokesman said investigations had shown that the "real schemer and organiser" of the attack was the ISI.

However, Sadiq recalled that the Pakistani leadership had condemned the attack on Karzai and was "gratified that he was not harmed".

He added: "In subsequent meetings and contacts between the leaderships of the two countries, no hint of any misgivings on this score was given by the Afghan side."

Against this background, Sadiq said, Pakistan found it "surprising" that such allegations were now being levelled. Media reports had also suggested that the attack was the result of a "massive intelligence and security failure or some kind of problems between the the Afghan intelligence apparatus and the government", he said.

Source : PTI