Lingering uncertainties: Abbottabad commission quizzes foreign secretary
The four-member commission looking into the US operation which killed Osama bin Laden summoned Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir on Monday.
The commission, headed by Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal, a former senior judge in the Supreme Court, questioned the foreign secretary in a meeting held behind closed doors.
It is believed they asked Bashir for his personal view of the incident in Abbottabad on May 2, which further strained relations between Pakistan and the US.
US special forces entered deep inside Pakistani territory in helicopters and conducted an operation in a compound in the garrison city, later claiming to have killed al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.
Pakistan’s reaction was one of displeasure, saying the US acted without its consent.
After much public criticism the government constituted a commission to hold a thorough investigation into the incident and said that it would make the report public following the inquiry.
The commission also includes Abbas Khan, a retired police officer, Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, a former diplomat, and Lt. Gen. (retd) Nadeem Ahmed, a former military official.
After Monday’s meeting the commission said it “conducted a detailed interview of the foreign secretary.
He presented his perception about the incident. The Commission will again meet on Tuesday.”
Published in The Express Tribune, November 1st, 2011.
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