DOHA, Nov 1: Osama bin Laden has called on Muslims in Pakistan to “confront the crusade against Islam”, Qatar’s satellite TV channel Al-Jazeera reported on Thursday.

The call came in a statement in which Osama accused the Pakistan government of “standing under the banner of the Cross while Muslims are being slaughtered in Afghanistan”, the network said.

Al-Jazeera TV said it had obtained a copy of the statement signed by Osama bin Laden, adding that the signature was identical to “the signature which appeared in

a previous statement” by him.—AFP