In grave violation of Pakistan's territorial sovereignty, on May 2, 2011, the US carried out a surprise operation using its superior technology, in a residential compound in Abbottabad where, unknown to the world, Osama bin Laden was hiding. He was killed in this raid; his body was flown away and dumped in the ocean, according to subsequent US claims. This highhanded adventure in the night's darkness was carried out without informing Pakistan which shows lack of trust in a "war on terror" partner and scant regard for an ally's sensibility.
This gross violation of international law was subsequently projected in the western media to cast aspersions on Pakistan military and its Intelligence Agency's competence, even insinuating their complicity in hiding the al Qaeda supremo. Reports and news analyses fail to mention that although Osama was living a few kilometers away from the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA), he was in a house located in a civilian locality of Abbottabad. Whatever might have been the length of his stay in that house, it is not reported he had ever ventured out. Other people living in the neighbourhood were so ignorant about the inmates of the house that they were taken aback and could not believe that bin Laden had been living in their midst. The Station House Officer or the Thanedar of the area, who is supposed to know who lives in his jurisdiction, had no inkling. Informants too, who keep intelligence agencies in business, were clueless – like the rest of the world's spy networks. A medic however by the name of Shakil Afridi had access to
that house. He helped the US trace the presence of bin Laden in that house under cover of a medical survey.
PMA's vicinity has received much unnecessary attention in comments ignoring the fact of its being a military school that looks after its security within its boundaries and has no concern with the neighbouring civilian localities. Yet this was made much of in innuendos about Pakistan's complicity in Osama's hiding right under the Academy's nose. Though it was acknowledged that the crucial lead had come from Pakistan months before regarding the movement of a carrier, the insinuations persisted. Director General ISI Lieut.-General Ahmad Shuja Pasha conceded an intelligence failure and even offered to resign. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who visited Pakistan about three weeks after the incident, admitted having found no evidence of any senior Pakistani official knowing about bin Laden's whereabouts.
The Joint session of the Parliament held on May 13-14 condemned the US operation in Abbottabad and declared that such unilateral actions as well as continuing drone attacks on Pakistan territory were unacceptable and must be stopped forthwith. The government has set up a commission to investigate the US operation and the parliament is reviewing the terms of engagement with the US.
In the follow up to that development, leaders of Pakistan's main political parties met in Islamabad on September 29, 2011 to consider issues relating to national security. They passed a 13 point resolution which said that "Defence of Pakistan's sovereignty and its territorial integrity is a sacred duty which shall never be compromised. … The Pakistani nation affirms its full solidarity and support for the armed forces of Pakistan in defeating any threat to national security.
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