Pakistan

Abbottabad commission convenes: Osama’s family barred from leaving Pakistan

Members of civil, military and political leadership may be called during the course of inquiry.

Irfan Ghauri July 06, 2011

ISLAMABAD:

The commission assigned to probe the May 2 Abbottabad incursion by US Navy SEALS that killed Osama bin Laden has directed the interior ministry and the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) to ensure that Bin Laden’s family does not leave the country without its permission.

Two of Bin Laden’s wives and some of his children were left behind in Abbottabad after the attack. The family is believed to be in the custody of the ISI.

The commission, headed by senior Supreme Court judge Justice Javed Iqbal, chalked out the modalities of its working and announced that it will call members of civil, military and political leadership during the course of inquiry, if needed.

“The ministry of interior and ISI have been directed to ensure that the family of Osama bin Laden is not repatriated from Pakistan without the consent of the commission,” a press statement issued after an in-camera meeting of the commission said.

The statement also elicited relevant information from the public and invited individuals to appear before the commission before July 31. Their identity will be kept confidential and they will also be provided legal protection. Tuesday’s meeting was also attended by Abbas Khan, a former inspector general of police, Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, a former diplomat, Lieutenant General (retd) Nadeem Ahmed, a former military official, and Cabinet Division secretary Nargis Sethi.

The terms of reference of the commission are to ascertain the facts regarding the presence of Bin Laden in Pakistan for such a long time, investigate the circumstances and facts surrounding the US operation, determine the nature, background and causes of lapses of the authorities concerned, if any, and make consequential recommendations. Justice (retd) Fakhruddin G Ibrahim, who was initially included as a member, refused to become part of the commission when it was initially announced because the government did not consult the chief justice before nominating Justice Javed Iqbal as head of the commission. The government later made a formal request to the chief justice who allowed Justice Iqbal to preside over this commission constituted under section 3 of Pakistan Commission of Inquiry Act, 1956 (Act VI of 1956). Justice Iqbal will be retiring as a Supreme Court judge on July 31 but he claims that his retirement will not affect the working of the commission.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 6^th, 2011.

COMMENTS (9)

1stResponder | 13 years ago | Reply why would you hold obl's wives and children unless you have evidence that they were complicit in a crime? i just kind of doubt that they were operating al qaeda. you cant have guilt by mere association. it shouldnt take that long to determine whether they were involved in anything criminal. within a few months at most, you should have any evidence that you need to charge them with complicity-then let them go. gawd-you are sounding just like the usa-holding people prisoner without charges!

Hedgefunder | 13 years ago | Reply @Siraj Ahsan: Glad to hear that, what pakistan needs is more people with brains like yours and mirza, at least than you people will actually think with some rationality rather than some blame games etc

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Siraj Ahsan | 13 years ago | Reply @Mirza: I agree with the creepy alliance of civil and military in today's Pakistan. On Shamsi Airbase it was handed over in 1990 not 2006 to UAE for their use during their personal trip. Seriously we are very irresponsible nation which has played with its own future since formation

Asad | 13 years ago | Reply The purpose is to make sure that sensitive information regarding who was helping Bin Laden is not exposed. It is almost as if the ISI has something to hide. Does it?

Akthar | 13 years ago | Reply Quom ki beti Aafia remains in US prison. Quom ki bahu's double wife of OBL remains in PK prison. Why such discrimination between Bahu & Beti? ;)

Salman | 13 years ago | Reply @R: Hamoodur Rehman Commission's report was finalized and submitted to Government of Pakistan on October 23, 1974 but Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto kept it under wraps and did not make it public. Much later, during Zia's dictatorship, it was leaked to and printed in Indian newspapers so it became public and is now widely available on the internet. If the findings were made public on a timely basis and its' recommendations implemented you would have been living in a totally different Pakistan today. But your point is well taken, no investigation is concluded and findings implemented in Pakistan.

Mirza | 13 years ago | Reply @Siraj Ahsan: As kids we had a joke. Sher unde deta hai ya bachche? Sher jungle ka badshah hai wo chahe unde de ya bachche. ISI and army owns the country they are doing whatever they want? You can see their silence on the issue of Shamsi Airbase that they gave to the US in 2006. They are hiding behind civilian leadership who has no idea about this old deal. Regards, Mirza

Siraj Ahsan | 13 years ago | Reply Why in custody of ISI? do they have any jurisdiction in it?

R | 13 years ago | Reply Commission - a grandiose term and political maneuver to fool the people. 1971 Loss / Banglasdesh Creation- still awaiting the Hamdoor Commision report. The guilty led plush lives. ZAB and BB killed - no commision. UN report on BB - who ever read the report! Zia ul Haq - crash of his C-17. No inquiry. All hushed up by the Khaki supremos. Kargil - the Khaki instigator and perpetrator usurped power. So no investigation. Attack on Sri Lanka team - still investigating! Decision to rent space and bases to OBL and Uncle - commission in remission. The decision maker is sitting in plush neighborhoods of London. Abbottabad debacle and humiliation - this too shall pass. This is nothing but a farce to hoodwink the people. The USA shall be blamed. No accountability shall be taken. The man who ran the ISI and Army as chief for the past so many years shall ensure that.

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