A top Pakistani military commander says the military has no plan to launch an offensive against Taliban and al-Qaida-linked militants in the North Waziristan tribal region. Lieutenant General Asif Yasin Malik, refuted media reports earlier this week that said the Pakistan military was planning such an operation at the request of the United States. The United States has long urged Pakistan to conduct a military operation to uproot militants who launch cross-border attacks on US and NATO forces in Afghanistan. Recent media reports suggested that the United States has finally persuaded Pakistan to launch an offensive in the North Waziristan tribal district to dislodge sanctuaries of the Haqqani network, which allegedly has ties to Pakistan's spy agency. US plans to begin phased withdrawal of some of his forces from Afghanistan next month. However, American officials say deadly cross-border raids by the Haqqani militants are fueling the Taliban insurgency and threatening efforts to stabilize Afghanistan. But Lieutenant-General Asif Yasin Malik, who is in charge of military operations in Pakistan's tribal region and other northwestern areas bordering Afghanistan, dismisses those concerns, describing the situation in North Waziristan as calm, peaceful and stable. Talking to reporters on Wednesday, Gen. Malik said, there were more than 30,000 troops stationed in North Waziristan and that there has been no change in the posture of those forces in recent days. General Malik also rejected assertions that his troops are reluctant to go after the Haqqani network because of its past links to the Pakistani army.