Pak to retaliate if US attempts unilateral strike: ISI to CIA

The message was personally delivered by ISI chief Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha to CIA head Gen David Petraeus during the Pakistani General's recent trip to Washington, an official familiar with the development told 'The Express Tribune' newspaper.

However, the Pakistani military denied the report, saying its contents and remarks attributed to the ISI chief were "factually incorrect and misleading". "Media should refrain from speculative reporting on such sensitive issues related to national security," a spokesman for the Inter-Service Public Relations said.

His remarks came after the daily quoted the unnamed official as saying Pasha had informed Petraeus that the "Pakistani people will not tolerate any US misadventure" and the government will be left with no other option but to retaliate if American troops launch a unilateral raid.

Senior ISI members had felt "betrayed" by US military chief Adm Mike Mullen's "blunt assessment" that the ISI had links with the Afghan Taliban-allied Haqqani network, the official said.

Mullen has accused the ISI of supporting the Haqqani network to target US forces in Afghanistan. He called the Haqqani network a "veritable arm" of the ISI. The US has been pressing Pakistan to launch a military offensive against the Haqqanis in North Waziristan.