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Pakistan's Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider on Tuesday night said he had evidence that Osama bin Laden-led Al Qaeda network financed last month's car-bomb attack on the US consulate in Karachi that killed at least 12 people.
"We know Al Qaeda was behind the attack on the US consulate," Haider told reporters. "We have credible information that Al Qaeda financed it," he added.
He, however, refused to specify whether Al Qaeda was directly involved in the attack or Pakistan extremist groups with ties to the terrorist outfit carried out the bombing.
The minister, who is in charge of police and internal security in Pakistan, said the attack, as well as the January kidnap-slaying of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl and a May car-bombing that killed 11 French engineers, stemmed from the country's support for the war against terrorism.
"We have faced difficulties after joining war against terrorism. Some foreigners who were living in Afghanistan in the past have entered Pakistan. They are not happy with our support to America. We know, these elements killed Daniel Pearl and French nationals," Haider said.
Haider also stressed that the FBI's involvement was limited to gathering and passing intelligence to Pakistani security forces. "We hope (the) FBI men who have also come here for investigating the bomb attack on American consulate will leave the country very soon," Haider said.
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