Pakistan Army rejects report linking Osama's phone records to ISI

The Pakistan army condemned on Friday a report in the New York Times that a cell phone found in the raid that killed Osama bin Laden contained contacts to a militant group with ties to Pakistan's intelligence agency.

The newspaper, citing senior US officials briefed on the findings, reported on Thursday that the discovery indicated that Laden used the group, Harakat-ul-Mujahedeen, as part of his support network inside Pakistan.

The cell phone belonged to Laden's courier, who was killed along with the al-Qaeda leader in the May 2 raid by US special forces on Laden's compound in the garrison town of Abbottabad, the Times said.

Pakistan army spokesperson Major General Athar Abbas said in a statement sent by text message that the military "rejects the insinuations made in the NYT story".

"It is part of a well orchestrated smear campaign against our security organisations," he said.

The army has been angered by media reports that elements in  the Pakistani security establishment may have helped Laden hide in Pakistan.

"Pakistan, its security forces have suffered the most at the hands of al-Qaeda and have delivered the most against al-Qaeda; our actions on the ground speak louder than the words of the Times," Abbas said.

In tracing calls on the cell phone, US analysts determined that Harakat-ul-Mujahedeen commanders had called Pakistani intelligence officials, the Times reported, citing the senior American officials.

The officials added the contacts were not necessarily about  Laden and his protection and that there was no "smoking gun" showing that Pakistan's spy agency had protected Laden.