Islamabad, May 12: Pakistan’s opposition leader Nawaz Sharif demanded an independent inquiry into an unauthorized raid by US forces that allegedly led to the killing of Osama bin Laden near Islamabad.
Sharif has rejected an internal military probe ordered by the Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.
“We completely reject the prime minister’s committee. It is powerless and cannot investigate the matter in depth,” he told a news conference in Islamabad on Wednesday.
The remarks come two days after the Pakistani premier told lawmakers that an investigation had been ordered into the presence of bin Laden in Abbottabad.
Sharif, who leads the second largest party in Pakistan, emphasized the formation of an independent commission.
“This commission should ascertain the full facts of Osama bin Laden’s presence and the American operation in Pakistan,” he said.
Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) chief also lashed out at both the Pakistani government and military.
“We must get to the bottom of the issue. If not, then history will not forgive us,” he noted
Last week, US President Barack Obama announced that the al-Qaeda leader had been killed in a US military attack on a compound near the Pakistani capital.
Washington claims its special forces killed Osama bin Laden in the attack without informing Islamabad. CIA chief Leon Panetta said the US did not inform Pakistani authorities about the raid since they feared Islamabad might disrupt the mission.
The developments come as pressure mounts on Islamabad to explain how bin Laden managed to hide out in a compound near a military camp for several years.
Washington’s refusal to provide photos of bin Laden’s body and the announcement that he was buried at sea has fuelled serious doubts about the claim.
Moreover, a number of former US military personnel and commanders have also stated that bin Laden was killed in a major bombing during the early stages of the US-led invasion of Afghanistan.
——–Agencies