Pakistani police have shifted their hunt for the kidnappers of U.S. reporter Daniel Pearl to the eastern city of Lahore, where they now believe the alleged kidnap mastermind has fled.

Investigators are searching for Islamic militant Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, in the hope that finding him will lead them to Mr. Pearl.

Meanwhile, police in the port city of Karachi, where Mr. Pearl was abducted last month, say they believe the Wall Street Journal reporter is still in the city. But they believe Sheikh Omar is now in Lahore.

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf is due in Washington today (Tuesday). It is believed the Pearl case could top the agenda for his talks with President Bush on Wednesday.

Mr. Pearl vanished as he tried to make contact with the leader of a radical Islamic group. He had been working on a story about alleged shoe bomber Richard Reid and possible links he may have had to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network.

There has been no word from the kidnappers from several days. In their last e-mail, they said they would kill Mr. Pearl unless the United States released Pakistanis captured in the war against terrorism in Afghanistan. U.S. officials have refused to negotiate.

(Reuters, AFP, prev)

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