WASHINGTON: Former Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf has said that the US and Pakistan both lost track of al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden
five years ago, The Dawn reports.

Musharraf, who is on a lecture tour of the US currently, told students and delegates at a college in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, that both Pakistani and US intelligence have failed to collect any details regarding Laden's whereabouts, and now they are even unable to ascertain whether he was dead or alive.

Musharraf also said there is a need of a multifaceted strategy to deal with the Taliban effectively.

He said that while the Al-Qaeda should be eliminated from Pakistan by force, dealing with the Taliban would require a military, political and socio-economic approach.

The former general underlined the fact that the Taliban was a widespread organization with no central command.

"The Taliban is not a monolith, but rather a spread out organization with no single commander who could be removed for the command structure to be destroyed," he said.