Rumour has it: ‘OBL’s Abbottabad hideout to be razed’
The ISPR denies reports of the British newspaper.
Osama bin Laden’s hideout in Abbottabad, where he was shot dead by US Navy Seals, will be flattened by rocket-propelled grenades and then bulldozed, British newspaper The Sun reported on Tuesday.
The report stated: “Military chiefs in Pakistan plan a spectacular blitz in front of TV cameras to prevent the walled complex becoming a sick shrine to the al Qaeda terror master.”
The report further quoted Interior Minister Rehman Malik as saying: “We will hit it like an enemy fort. But first we must erase everything related to Bin Laden from our country.”
It further revealed that the demolition will take place next month. Chief military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas was quoted as saying: “US and European officials will be invited. It will be a big event.”
ISPR denial
However, a spokesman for the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) denied the report. A statement clarified the remarks attributed to the director general regarding the demolition of Bin Laden’s residence.
The spokesman said that remarks in an article by Nick Parker published in The Sun on Tuesday are totally baseless. The spokesman added that the DG ISPR never spoke to any reporter of The Sun as quoted in the news report.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 11th, 2012.