ISLAMABAD (AP) — Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf denied Tuesday that his administration struck an agreement with the United States years ago to let American special forces kill or capture Osama bin Laden inside Pakistan.

The denial follows a report in a British newspaper that Washington and Islamabad reached a secret deal nearly a decade ago allowing the U.S. to conduct operations against bin Laden and two other top al-Qaida leaders on Pakistani soil.

“Pervez Musharraf has seen a media report, and let me make it clear that no such agreement had been signed during his tenure,” said Musharraf’s spokesman, Fawad Chaudhry. He said there was no oral agreement either.

U.S. Navy SEALs conducted a unilateral operation May 2 inside Pakistan that killed bin Laden, the world’s most wanted terrorist. The pre-dawn raid was viewed by many Pakistanis as a national humiliation delivered by a deeply unpopular America.

In a report published Thursday, The Guardian newspaper, quoting U.S. officials and retired Pakistani officials, said Musharraf and former President George W. Bush struck the agreement after bin Laden escaped U.S. forces in the mountains of Tora Bora in late 2001. If such a raid were conducted, the agreement was that Pakistani officials would publicly denounce the U.S. unilateral action.

“The Guardian report is baseless,” Chaudhry said.

In an Associated Press interview in January 2002, Gen. Tommy Franks, who headed the U.S. Central Command at the time, disclosed a deal with Pakistan allowing U.S. troops in Afghanistan to cross the border in pursuit of fugitive extremist leaders, including bin Laden. Pakistan denied such a deal existed.

“If there is any such agreement, the Pakistan government should place it in the parliament, and if there was any agreement, the American government should make it public,” Chaudhry told the AP from Dubai, where the country’s former military ruler is staying.

He added that during his tenure, Musharraf “always rejected the U.S. request about launching raids in Pakistan.”

U.S. officials have said the Navy SEALs who killed bin Laden took his body with them when they left his compound, and the al-Qaida chief was buried at sea within the next 24 hours.

A message attributed to one of bin Laden’s sons, Omar, was posted on a militant website Monday criticizing the U.S. for killing his father, demanding evidence of his death and lambasting American officials for the way they disposed of his body.

Burying the al-Qaida leader’s body at sea “demeans and humiliates his family and his supporters and … challenges religious provisions and feelings of hundreds of millions of Muslims,” said the statement, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks militant websites.

Hours after the 9/11 aerial strikes, he was asked to make a choice. "You are with us or against us," the then US secretary of state Colin Powel told him. Pervez Musharraf, then the president of Pakistan, didn’t have much of a choice. He joined forces with the US in the war on terror as Osama bin Laden forged ahead with his mission: Talibinisation of Pakistan. Nearly a decade later, the US’s hunt for its most wanted man has ended in the heartland of Pakistan, barely 50 km from capital Islamabad where bin Laden was shot dead in a special operation. Musharraf, who now lives in exile, in Dubai, is a worried man. One can’t discredit Pakistan and still fight terror, he tells Soma Banerjee.

What would you have done if you were the head of state in Pakistan today?
This wouldn’t have happened if I were the head of state. It is Pakistan’s security forces that should initiate such a military action, not foreign troops. During my regime, our forces have hunted down high-value targets, aided by the US and other countries, but each operation inside the country was carried out by Pakistani soldiers. It is embarrassing for Pakistan if it was unaware of the American operation against Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad.

What is your message to the world, the sub-continent (India and Afghanistan) and to terrorist groups?
Pakistan has played the role of a frontline state to save the world from terror. Secret agencies of all countries had been struggling unsuccessfully to trace Osama bin Laden for the past ten years. Now, just because Osama is killed inside Pakistan, it doesn’t mean that the world should forget our sacrifices. Some countries have said that Pakistan is a haven for terrorists. I would like to clarify that the world cannot achieve desired results against terrorist elements by discrediting Pakistan.

Do you think the US could have conducted this operation without the knowledge of Pakistan’s government?
I am not certain whether Pakistan’s ruling government was informed or not about this operation. However, in view of the prevailing information, it seems that the leadership of Pakistan was not taken into confidence prior to this operation. No doubt the American military operation has achieved great success, but they have also violated Pakistan’s sovereignty by trespassing into the country’s territory.

Is the world a safer place after bin Laden’s death?
The death of Osama will not hurt the nefarious activities of radical elements. On the other hand, they will become more cautious. The death of Osama bin Laden cannot be considered as a satisfactory achievement for becoming relaxed.

Is this more of a symbolic achievement?
No doubt, bin Laden’s killing was a great achievement, but as I have already pointed out, we need to become more cautious and to annul the war on terror the world should acknowledge the sacrifices that Pakistanis have made.

What are the mistakes the US have made in Afghanistan?
The US has committed enormous mistakes in Afghanistan and Pakistan has had to face the music as a result of these mistakes. Time is now ripe to correct those mistakes. An American exit at this juncture from Afghanistan will further heighten the crisis in Afghanistan.
More than half the population of Afghanistan comprises Pashtoons-and when the Americans transferred power in Afghanistan, they ignored the Pashtoons. It’s a reality that all the Talibans are Pashtoons, but it’s also a reality that all Pashtoons are not Talibans. In my opinion peace cannot be restored in Afghanistan without the cooperation of the Pashtoons. After the fall of the Russians in Afghanistan, America left Afghanis in the lurch. It would be a repetition of the same mistake if the Americans dramatically exit the country. It will only heighten the crisis in Afghanistan.

You have tried to help improve ties with India. How do you rate the current state of affairs and what is your view on the bilateral ties?
It’s a reality that India is our neighboring country and geographical locations cannot be changed. Both countries need to address their burning issues, including Kashmir through political dialogue. When I was in government, both countries had agreed to resolve outstanding issues through peaceful dialogue and the ruling government of Pakistan is now pursuing my policies.

What are the challenges ahead?
Terrorists are still present in the region and in my opinion, bin Laden was only a symbol and he has nothing to do with the activities of terrorists. The war on terror can only be won by the elimination of these terrorist elements.

Did you, as head of Pakistan, face pressure from terrorist groups like the al Qaeda or Taliban to maintain distance with countries such as India?
I am a commando. Being a part of Pakistan’s military, I never surrendered before terrorists during my regime. I took every decision by prioritising the interests of my country. There may have been pressure from the terrorists, but I never let them bother me. I have not taken any decision under their pressure.

What do you think of the Indo-Pak cricket diplomacy?
Both Pakistan and India cannot deny the importance of cricket diplomacy as it can work wonders to bring the people and governments of both the countries closer.

If you had a chance to rewrite history, would you have redrawn the map to make India and Pakistan one nation?

Why? Muslims and Hindus have never been a one-nation in the subcontinent.

"I think there is a lack of trust — the trust and confidence, definitely.

"That is why, maybe, they (the US) didn’t involve them (Pakistan)," he told CNN.

He also says he was surprised by how Osama could have been staying so close to a Pakistani military base in Abbottabad, about 120 km from the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, and yet nobody knew he was there.

"Yes, it is astonishing. It’s – it’s very surprising. But I have no doubt in my mind whatsoever, knowing our intelligence and army, that Pakistan Army, Pakistan intelligence are operating with all their heart and soul against Al Qaeda and Taliban."

Musharraf, who for years as Pakistani president, insisted that Osama was not in his country called the Al Qaeda leader’s death "a positive step".

But he said Pakistani authorities should have been involved because "the sensitivity of the people of Pakistan in the streets, in the political forces are against violation of sovereignty of Pakistan".

"Yes, I think so. Absolutely," he said suggesting there would not have been any leaks.

"Well… I don’t think there would have been any leaks… We have, in my time, over the years, we have arrested, apprehended dozens of Al Qaeda operatives and every time it was intelligence provided jointly by, many times by American intelligence.

"And it was Pakistani forces with law enforcement agency which operated. And we did a good job of it."

"And here again, I think, you know, well, the sensitivity of the people of Pakistan in the streets, in the political forces are against violation of sovereignty of Pakistan."

According to a press stamen issued here Sunday which stated that “Kim Barker, a US based journalists in her recently published book, ‘The Taliban Shuffle’ pointed out that former Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif treated her likely a playboy by making phone calls off and on and also gave her a gift of I-phone”.

The US based journalist underlined in her book that PML-N Chief Mian Nawaz Sharif fully assisted her in finding out the whereabouts of Mumbai terrorists attack accomplice Ajmal Qasab and it became possible with the support of Sharif that she was the first journalist to reach Farid Kot, the home town of Ajmal Qasab near Okara.

APML Quaid Pervez Musharraf said that PML-N chief has proved his immaturity that he is not capable of making modern politics and due to his immature thinking the nation has to face bewilderment at international level.

APML Quiad said that Nawaz Sharif to accomplish his personal motives also handed over important national secrets and documents of the country to a foreign journalist that hinted at political immaturity of the former prime minister of Pakistan.

Musharraf said that the country has been confronting critical challenges but the political leadership of the major political parties of the country was busy to maintain their political hegemony. He said that the nation will never forgive these socially and morally corrupt representatives and the day is not far off when APML will emerge as best option of public voice.