Bin Laden 'with friends' in Pakistan

Osama bin Laden, on the run from the US led coalition against terrorism, is believed to be with ‘‘friends’’ of a Pakistani religious party leader, an Afghanistan government official said today.

Mohammad Abeel, spokesman for the Defence Ministry in Kabul, said bin Laden was believed to be with ‘‘friends’’ of Maulana Fazal-ur Rehman, a Pakistani Islamic activist in a border area of Pakistan. He did not elaborate or divulge the source of his information.