The Hindu : 'Osama not in Pak.'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, May 07, 2002

International

International

'Osama not in Pak.'

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD MAY 6. Pakistan asserted today that the Saudi terror mastermind, Osama bin Laden, was in Afghanistan — alive or dead — and that there was a very slim chance of his having crossed over to its side of the border. The Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman, Aziz Ahmed Khan, told presspersons that the chances of Osama being in Pakistan were "very remote." He was responding to a query on a report in the United States magazine, Newsweek, which said in its latest issue that Afghan commanders based near the border had received credible reports that Osama was hiding in Pakistan with one of his top lieutenants, Ayman al-Zawahri. (An Afghan commander in Khost, Kamal Khan Zadran, reportedly told the weekly that Osama's men were trying to keep their leader safe inside Pakistan as U.S.-led forces were searching for him).

``Pakistan is very vigilant on its border. The chances of his being in Pakistan are very remote. As the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, told a group of correspondents on Saturday Osama is in Afghanistan dead or alive,'' Mr. Khan said.

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