Abbottabad Commission report: Fazl questions failure to fix clear responsibility
Says panel did not identify individuals for failing to prevent US choppers from flying in.
JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
Pointing out certain incomplete references and ‘loopholes’ in the Abbottabad Commission report, Maulana Fazlur Rehman questioned why the report failed to fix clear responsibility for the security lapse which allowed the US Navy Seals helicopters to fly into Pakistan.
“Why were the radars on sleeping mode on the night of the raid? How did the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) manage to establish its intelligence network in Pakistan?” questioned Jamiat-e-Ullema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief, adding that the report failed to clearly state the reasons and pinpoint the responsibility on individuals for the lapse that undermined Pakistan’s sovereignty.
In a statement issued by Fazl’s spokesperson, Jan Achakzai, the JUI-F chief said the commission report into the raid on Osama bin Laden only vaguely fixed responsibility on the political and military leadership of the time, but failed to identify individuals.
He added the report also failed to explain the reasons why radars on Pakistan’s western border, from where threats have been constantly emerging, failed to detect the US choppers.
“It was shocking that this border was poorly covered while there should have been air defences put in place working round the clock,” said Fazl.
He added that the report did not recommend lessons to be learnt from the raid to prevent such a scenario from happening in the future.
Further, he added, that former ISI chief Lieutenant-General (retd) Ahmed Shuja Pasha’s statement regarding drone strikes in Pakistan was alarming.
“How would the US take our protest against drone strikes seriously then?” Fazl questioned.
The report quoted Pasha as telling the commission that Pakistan’s “political and military leadership had an understanding over the drone attacks with the US.”
The JUI-F chief urged the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government to make sure there was no covert complicity on drone attacks at any level. He asked the government to probe who leaked the report to Al Jazeera news network.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 11th, 2013.
Pointing out certain incomplete references and ‘loopholes’ in the Abbottabad Commission report, Maulana Fazlur Rehman questioned why the report failed to fix clear responsibility for the security lapse which allowed the US Navy Seals helicopters to fly into Pakistan.
“Why were the radars on sleeping mode on the night of the raid? How did the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) manage to establish its intelligence network in Pakistan?” questioned Jamiat-e-Ullema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief, adding that the report failed to clearly state the reasons and pinpoint the responsibility on individuals for the lapse that undermined Pakistan’s sovereignty.
In a statement issued by Fazl’s spokesperson, Jan Achakzai, the JUI-F chief said the commission report into the raid on Osama bin Laden only vaguely fixed responsibility on the political and military leadership of the time, but failed to identify individuals.
He added the report also failed to explain the reasons why radars on Pakistan’s western border, from where threats have been constantly emerging, failed to detect the US choppers.
“It was shocking that this border was poorly covered while there should have been air defences put in place working round the clock,” said Fazl.
He added that the report did not recommend lessons to be learnt from the raid to prevent such a scenario from happening in the future.
Further, he added, that former ISI chief Lieutenant-General (retd) Ahmed Shuja Pasha’s statement regarding drone strikes in Pakistan was alarming.
“How would the US take our protest against drone strikes seriously then?” Fazl questioned.
The report quoted Pasha as telling the commission that Pakistan’s “political and military leadership had an understanding over the drone attacks with the US.”
The JUI-F chief urged the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government to make sure there was no covert complicity on drone attacks at any level. He asked the government to probe who leaked the report to Al Jazeera news network.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 11th, 2013.