Morale boost: Kasuri, Akhtar demand commission for OBL killing

Former ministers, Kasuri and Humayun Akhtar, say full story of the raid must be revealed.

LAHORE:

Senior leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) (Like-minded) have demanded the constitution of a commission to investigate the events of May 2, when Osama bin Laden was gunned down by US forces in a compound in Abbottabad.

Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri and Humayun Akhtar, who were foreign minister and commerce minister in General Pervez Musharraf’s government, told reporters here that the killing of bin Laden in Pakistan had shaken the people of Pakistan. The people are demanding answers, they said. “This has ramifications not just on the issue of sovereignty but equally and importantly for national security,” they said.

They demanded that the government set up a high-powered commission of retired Supreme Court judges appointed in consultation with the Supreme Court Bar Association as well as the four provincial bar associations. Representatives of the bar associations made similar demands on Monday.

The former ministers said that the judges on the commission must be impartial and have no record of showing preference for any political party. Nor should they have taken part in politics. “We know that there are outstanding retired judges of known integrity who could perform this function,” they said.

They said that the commission should have the power to summon anyone it feels necessary to achieve the required objectives. It should be assisted by technical experts. It should make its recommendations within 30 days of its constitution, which should be done as soon as possible.

They said that the heads of those responsible should roll and the people concerned should accept responsibility so that the people of Pakistan never have to face such humiliation again. Some, they said, were demanding the heads of certain officials because it suited their political objectives.The former ministers said that there was a need for a thorough investigation not just because the United States or the international community are demanding answers, but more importantly, because the people of Pakistan want answers.

“We feel that everyone has to rise above partisan politics in view of the grave implications of this incident for Pakistan’s national security and international reputation, but equally and importantly to maintain the morale of the people of Pakistan,” they said.

About the alliance between the Pakistan Peoples Party and the PML (Like-minded)’s former allies the PML-Q, they said the Chaudhrys of Gujrat had destroyed their party by getting in bed with the ruling party in the Centre. They said the Chaudhrys were lying when they claimed that PML (Like-minded) members were defecting to the PML-Q.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 10^th, 2011.