Pak Army chief meets top commanders after US claims

Pakistan Army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani today convened a special meeting of his top commanders to review the security situation against the backdrop of mounting tensions with the US over its asssertion the the military-run ISI had links to the Haqqani network.

The "Special Corps Commanders Conference" held at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi will "review the prevailing security situation in the country", said a brief statement from the military.

The meeting will be attended by all corps commanders and principal staff officers, the statement said.

The move comes in the wake of a sharp escalation of rhetoric between Pakistan and the US following American military chief Admiral Mike Mullen's accusation that the Inter-Services Intelligence is backing the Haqqani network, blamed for a string of high-profile terror attacks, including a recent assault on the US Embassy in Kabul.

Pakistan has angrily rejected the allegations, with Kayani saying they were not "based on facts".

Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar had warned that the US risked losing its partnership with Pakistan if it continued criticising Islamabad.