Officials in Pakistan say the Obama administration has asked for the identities of some of the country's top intelligence officials as part of US efforts to verify whether any of them was in contact with Osama bin Laden in the years prior to the raid that led to his killing early this week, The New York Times reported on Friday.

According to the report, the officials provide details of growing suspicion by the US that somoeone in Palistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) knew of bin Laden's whereabouts and helped protect him.

Specifically, American officials have demanded information on the ISI's directorate, which has maintained close contact with militants since they fought the Soviet army in Afghanistan.