LUCKNOW, Feb 16: Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on Saturday reiterated his claim that Osama bin Laden may be hiding in Pakistan and urged international pressure on Islamabad to flush him out.

“I would be least surprised if (Osama) bin Laden was found hiding in Pakistan, because that’s the safest haven for him,” Vajpayee said while talking to reporters in Lucknow.

“Instead of launching the hunt for him (Osama) in other countries, it’s necessary for everyone to exert pressure on Pakistan to get him out,” Vajpayee said.

Vajpayee’s coalition, which ordered the most powerful deployment of forces on the border with Pakistan, has repeatedly sought to make its fight against “terrorism” a key achievement.—Reuters