Pakistan

Access to Bin Laden's family denied to US

Pakistani authorities say they will not allow the US automatic access to the detained relatives of Osama bin Laden.

Express May 05, 2011

Pakistani authorities say they will not allow the US automatic access to the relatives of Osama bin Laden, who were detained after Sunday's raid on his fortified compound in Abbottabad.

The two countries face an awkward custody battle for the al Qaeda leader’s wife and children.

Up to three women and nine children are currently in detention under Pakistani authorities.

It is understood they are being held at a medical facility in Rawalpindi.

A senior intelligence source told The Daily Telegraph that any request from US officials would not be granted so soon.

However, he said US authorities would be granted access after obtaining written permission from the country of origin of the detainees. He said this was standard procedure, and that the policy had been in place since 2003.

COMMENTS (23)

noor | 13 years ago | Reply of course not auto access but when they ask for it, then authorities will behave as humble servants. @Julia Afaghi Simmons Great post

Perosg21 | 13 years ago | Reply I , like many had been paranoid since the jolt we recevied in that shameful night when foreign invaders entered our space, ridiculed and trampled on our soverigenity with impunity and left with an accomplished mission without evoking our security apparatus. I now feel that CIA will take heart from this success and send incursions to other countries to maim , capture and kill opponents. Had we been alert and vigilant, to botch the incursion, and had there been resistence in compound resulting in collatoral damage to the invaders, from Osama's forces , it would have sent a strong message to Americans because America dread losing its citzens in Combats . Now I wouldn't be surprise if the CIA boldened by their success and heartened by our weaknesses may venture to takeaway the Osami family members held in protective custody by ISI , if they consider any individual high value target and we refuse to hand them over. We have to develop consensus on how much we are willing to compromise our national dignity and self respect and allow ruthess killing of our innocent citizens by unmanned drones

VIEW MORE COMMENTS

AnisAqeel | 13 years ago | Reply @Mujtaba Abid: You are right, I am wrong. Happy! I meant to say a soveraign country and not ethnecity. A Pakistani can be Sindhi, Panjabi, Pashtun, Sarhadi etc. just like Indian Sindhi, Indian Punjabi, Indian Gujrati etc. and can be further devided to Rajput, Sayed, Arain etc. and they still can be proud of their ancestry.

S. H. Zaidi | 13 years ago | Reply Pakistan must be careful with Osama's family. Handing them over to the Americans might mean the trampling of their human rights by an insensitive officialdom of that country that has no other goal but political, military and economic dominance over the world at all costs. How they treated Aafia Siddiqui, a 90-pound diminutive woamn whom they accuse of trying to kill American soldiers. An interesting bit of information is the code name they gave to the operation to get Osama-- Geronimo. The latter was a Native American chief who dared to fight them for his independence and freedom. They duped him by calling him for talks to California and instead of holding talks imprisoning him. He was incarcerated till he died. The Native Americans were hunted to near extinction. Incidentally, the Native American leaders today in the US have protested over the code name Geronimo for this operation. Those of us who consider the West a most civilised group of nations should remember the fate of many other freedom fighters who succumbed to their lust for power and wealth. Let the family of Bin Laden remain in Pakistani military's custody till they can be safely handed over to their relatives in their country of origin. This way they can atone for the past sins of the various governments in Pakistan which handed over Pakistanis by the hundreds to the Americans in return for, to quote Musharraf's words 'bounty.' -- meaning in simple language dollars. It is time the ruling elite in Pakistan did some introspection and changed its own priorities--which are loot and plunder of the nation's resources. But there is no indication of this. For the top men holding political office in Pakistan it is business as usual, and corruption is the order of the day. God help us all.

Duran | 13 years ago | Reply why so much budget of this poor country is allocated for PAF and other shmeless army when they are not even able to spot and stop a few halicopters,

Mujtaba Abid | 13 years ago | Reply @AnisAqeel: no u are wrong, some of us say we are sindhi first then pakistani :D

Julia Afaghi Simmons | 13 years ago | Reply I am one American who has been in Pakistan and liked it very much and as a single female was treated very very well. I wish there was a way to explain the state of mind of Americans against Pakistan who have a very low opinion of anybody from any (as they consider it) lower Country such as Pakistan. There is a certain ugly class distinction thing in America that must have come from United Kingdom in colonial days and continues until now as illustrated by the continued exaggerated adoration of British Royalty. Thus we have a society here in USA that in itself has extreme class distinction but the attitude to "poorer" countries such as Pakistan is even worse. In general it is an American idea sort of like "manifest destiny" or "zionism in Israel" that tells Americans they RULE THE WORLD AND CAN WALK ALL OVER ANYODY ELSE. With all the hoopla about Bin Landens death no questions come up such as: "in the fire in compound when we see huge pieces of fire thrown into neighborhood...wasn't it wreckless to endanger the whole neighborhood with this attack". No, the supposition is KILL ANYBODY IN THE WAY OF USA DEMANDS. Frankly the real goal of current US government is to rule everybody everywhere thru their domination of the UN. Any weaker country such as Pakistan needs to shut up and kissass as far as they are concerned. I seem to be one of the few to even ask questions as to their wreckless actual criminal behavior in other countries. I loved Afghanistan and Pakistan and every day get sicker at heart when I see such videos as RESTREPO where children covered with the mother's blood in poor little houses after another MISTAKE IN TARGET of drones or bombs by USA.

Iqbal | 13 years ago | Reply I am disguising myself as an Indian than letting people know that I am a Pakistani :( I can easily make out the difference in which I am treated now....obviously with high regard

Peros Graham | 13 years ago | Reply If there was a slightest honour dignity and accountability left in Political elites in Pakistan they should have resigned in shame. Mr Zardari, Mr Gillani, Mr Kiyani and Mr Shuja Pashma are still demonstrating shamless impunity for their lack of leadership , dismal and pathetic failures in protecting the Borders of the nation. Had this occurred in a civilised accountable Western nations the resignations would have followed forthwith. Unfortunately our political fraternity lack moral courage and are arrogantly insensitive to the immense shame the American incursions have caused to the Nation. .

Yac | 13 years ago | Reply We will never know the truth - Pakistan Air force shot down that chopper or whether Bin Laden was in Pakistan. With the CIA and America lies and more lies. It is the way.

AnisAqeel | 13 years ago | Reply I noticed tens of comments mentioning, I am ashamed or we are ashamed to be Pakistani while statistics say majority believe they are Muslims first and Pakistani after. As they are Muslims first does it mean they are ashamed to be Muslims? Just being curious.

A | 13 years ago | Reply Uh please! If the US wanted them, it would have taken them away on the night they killed Osama.

rehan | 13 years ago | Reply Pakistani Military wasn't involved in the action..then how did the family reach us?Were they para dropped from the US helicopters at CMH Rawalpindi?

rofl | 13 years ago | Reply Why? do they know too much secrets?

sulman | 13 years ago | Reply I am ashamed to be a Pakistani.The immage of isi and pak army has been flushed down the gutter,They were nothing more then paper tigers.SHAME ON U

Aslam Zahid | 13 years ago | Reply Really I m so disappointed ISI put us in a great shame......Now does some thing better for better image of Pak.........

the sane one... | 13 years ago | Reply @Hassan: ha ha ha ....lovely sarcasm... n then they could say...hmmm...we dont know what happnned...

Amin Karachi | 13 years ago | Reply Topi drama by USA , Osama in abbotabad .......hahah. Americans are so stupid.

Babloo | 13 years ago | Reply ISi's stretegic asset snatched at the middle of the night.

f | 13 years ago | Reply Just send them back to which ever country they belong too and let them and the US deal with it. We have done more then enough in the so called WOT and all we get is slapped around all the time. Enough is enough!!

maestro | 13 years ago | Reply Why are you taking 80% of our meagre budget when the whole security establishment is so impotent? India is openly making statements they can do the same now and taking every opportunity to ridicule us. Have you any level of shame left? Don't worry, the US can come and take his family easily, have biryani, take a tourist tour and then leave comfortably without your "permission" while our PAF is trying to figure out the "blind spots" in our "radar system" before taking an hour to "scramble" jets. They are much busier scrambling eggs. Who are you trying to fool??

Yousaf | 13 years ago | Reply At least stick to this, you guys have put us in a great shame.. first by having Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan and denied constantly, then American came with choppers & commandos and you were not aware..for what you are having 80% of Pakistan budget? What a shame!

Hassan | 13 years ago | Reply And to top it all off, The Americans may come in helicopters and take them without your permission.

Replying to X