Pakistani military officials are denying a U.S. newspaper report that links Pakistan's intelligence service with militants fighting against the government in neighboring Afghanistan.

Pakistani army spokesman, Major-General Athar Abbas says an account published Wednesday by The New York Timesis unfounded and baseless.

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani (left) with President Bush, 28 Jul 2008

The newspaper says the deputy director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency Stephen Kappes secretly traveled to Pakistan earlier this month to present evidence tying the country's Inter-Services Intelligence agency to Taliban commander Jalauddin Haqqani.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani also has denied the report, telling U.S. television Tuesday that claimed links between militants and the ISI are "not believable."

Mr. Gilani says he has asked the United States to relay intelligence about terrorists operating in Pakistan to his government, and that U.S. President George Bush agreed to his request during a meeting at the White House on Monday. The prime minister added, however, that his forces do not have the capacity to carry out some anti-terrorist operations.

Mr. Gilani had talks with U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates in Washington on Tuesday.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.