ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday rejected U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta's recent comments on militant safe havens in Pakistan, a move that could intensify tensions between troubled allies Islamabad and Washington.

"We feel that the Secretary of Defense is oversimplifying some of the very complex issues we are all dealing with in our efforts against extremism and terrorism," Pakistan's Foreign Ministry (FM) said in a statement.

Panetta said on Thursday that stabilisation efforts in Afghanistan would remain difficult as long as militants had safe havens in Pakistan.

Times and again, the Pakistani authorities have claimed that they are fighting extremism and militancy wholeheartedly and that they would never allow anyone to use its land against any country. The Pakistani authorities have also asserted that they would never allow any militant haven to operate from within their territory.

The Foreign Office also stated that Pakistan holds a firm stance against terrorism as it is also a matter of Pakistan's national security. (Reuters)