Islamabad: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf yesterday (Oct 10, 2004) said al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden is alive and is hiding in an unknown location.

Addressing the media after meeting German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, Musharraf said bin Laden is on the move and no body can lay an exact timeframe for tracking him down.

"I do believe that he is hiding somewhere and I think he is alive," he said.

Asked if he thought bin Laden was hiding near the Pak-Afghan border, Musharraf said, "I can't be 100 per cent sure if he is in the border region. He can be there or he cannot be there." Laden, considered the mastermind of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the US, "is an enemy who is hiding," Musharraf said.

Schroeder lauded Pakistan's "vital efforts in the international fight against terror."

During the meeting, the two leaders discussed the fight against terrorism and agreed to enhance cooperation on this front.