Asia News, Pakistan denied on Sunday that it is pulling out its security forces from the main town in the tribal area near the Afghan border.

A military spokesman said on condition of anonymity that "there is no pull out of troops from South Waziristan Agency or any other area of Federal Authorized Tribal Areas (FATA) and actions will be taken as and when required if there is credible information about presence of foreign miscreants in the area or their involvement in the terrorist activities,"

Only the check posts in the area would be handed over to local tribesman but there was no withdrawal of forces, the spokesman added.

On Saturday, the Pakistani media has quoted Pakistan Army's Corps Commander Lt-Gen Safdar Hussain as saying that the forces would be pulled out from Wana sub division following guarantees by local tribesmen that they would not harbor fighters.

But Defense Spokesman Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sutan said on Sunday that the forces would not be withdrawn from the troubled region.

The military spokesman also said that military operations would resume in Mehsud area of South Waziristan where some of the wanted suspects have not turned themselves in.

The spokesman also explained that there were three reasons for deploying security forces in the Federal Authorized Tribal Areas (FATA): secure the western borders, help the political administration in carrying out the development activities and hunt for foreign and local suspects hiding in some of these areas.

Uncle Sam