Pakistan helped US in arresting Taliban leaders: Haqqani

Washington, Oct 19 (ANI): The United States has been successful in arresting many Taliban leaders due to the help extended by Pakistan to its intelligence agencies and forces, the nation's ambassador to the US, Hussain Haqqani has said.

"Pakistan's help led to arrests of many Taliban leaders in war on terrorism, " The News quoted Haqqani, as saying in a TV interview.

Talking about the a news channel report which quoted a NATO official as claiming that Al-Qaida's top leadership was living comfortably in northwest Pakistan, the envoy stated, "US should share intelligence with Pakistani government if she thinks that Osama Bin Ladin is hiding somewhere in Pakistan."

He added that if such intelligence were shared by the US, the Pakistan government would immediately take action over it.

However, the US has failed to share with Pakistan even a little amount of intelligence since last 18 months, he rued.

Earlier, a news channel had reported that Laden and Zawahiri were believed to be hiding close to each other in houses in northwest Pakistan, though not together.

"Nobody in al Qaeda is living in a cave," the CNN quoted the official, as saying, who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the intelligence matters involved.

Rather, they are believed to be living in relative comfort, protected by locals and some members of the Pakistani intelligence services, the official added. (ANI)