Osama Bin Laden. PHOTO: FILE
The chief executive officer (CEO) of Save the Children has categorically denied involvement in the May 2 Abbottabad raid.
The NGO’s global president and CEO, Carolyn Miles, held a meeting with the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister on Wednesday in this regard. The organisation has faced tremendous criticism after the Abbottabad Commission linked it to the hunt for bin Laden and other espionage activities in the country.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Miles said that although Dr Shakil Afridi attended two workshops conducted by Save the Children, he was never a direct employee of the organisation. She added that the NGO never ran a vaccination campaign in Abbottabad as well.
Categorically rejecting the findings of the Abbottabad Commission report linking Save the Children with the raid on al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden’s compound, Miles said Dr Afridi falsely used the name of the organisation to run a fake vaccination campaign.
“We condemn the use of public health programmes [for ulterior aims]” she added.
Miles, meanwhile, rejected claims that the organisation’s fund was unaccounted for, saying Save the Children was working in 120 countries across the globe with the Australian and Dutch governments as its biggest donors.
“We share all our reports with the government as well as donors who are very serious in terms of accountability” she said.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 22nd, 2013.
COMMENTS (7)
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Isn't it strange how come all the Indians are protecting Save the Children, as if they are very intimate of its dealings here?
@aaaaa:
Save the Children has been vocal about this issue from Day 1 - why this is resurfacing or is newsworthy is a better question. Maybe it's time for Pakistan to spent some time finding out who helped OBL rather than spending all it's resources trying to track down who helped disclose OBL presence in Pakistan?
Save the children is a worldwide charity that has helped thousands of underprivileged children in countries all over the world....only Pakistani radicals are trying to stop it because it originated in the west...the victims will be countless children who could use help...but the Taliban/ al Qaeda and their supporters never care about children...it would rank as one of the stupidest moves that Pakistan ever made if they ban Save the Children!!!!
Save the Children wasn't responsible for OBL living in a mansion on the edge of the Pakistan Military Academy, didn't turn a blind eye to the Quetta Shura, didn't provide sanctuary to terrorist who attack your neighbors and allies, and isn't consider duplicitous or have a terrible World Wide reputation.
And why don't you publish the same on your websites for general public?
why wait more than a year to say this?
They were even penetrating during the preparation of OBL commission report. They have lost credibility due to these news.