Honourable Speaker,

Honourable members of the House

 

On behalf of the Government, I wish to make a statement regarding the death of Osama bin Laden in a US forces operation in the surroundings of Abbottabad on 2 May 2011.

2. The Government’s position has been announced in the two press statements issued by the Foreign Ministry on 2 and 3 May 2011. The honourable members will have seen this official account. However, I would like to underscore the following:

     • Counter-terrorism is a national priority. More than any other country in the world, Pakistan has suffered immensely from horrific acts of mindless violence, perpetrated against innocent civilians, including women and children.

    • Since 9/11, over thirty thousand Pakistanis have fallen victim to terrorist attacks. These cowardly attacks have targeted public places such as markets, mosques and shrines in nearly every town and city throughout the country. What is indeed most deplorable is that those who have perpetrated these attacks have pretended to do it in the name of our noble religion – Islam. There could be no greater disservice to Islam. Our people are, therefore, rightly incensed over the blight of terrorism that has affected their daily lives as well as the economy of the country.

    • There is a national consensus on defeating terrorism. Our security and law-enforcing agencies and bodies as well as the armed forces have taken up this challenge successfully and effectively. More than five thousand of our security and armed forces personnel have embraced martyrdom in combating this menace.

    • While the anti-terror campaign is a national priority, it is also a regional and global issue. We have ongoing cooperative arrangements with several countries to defeat and eliminate terrorism.

    • In this regard, it is important to note that the parameters of our cooperation are well-established. Under no circumstances, can Pakistan allow any cooperative endeavours to be construed, in any manner, that compromises Pakistan’s sovereignty and national security. This has been made clear to all concerned.

    • The safeguarding of Pakistan’s sovereignty and national security are indeed sacred obligations, which shall always be upheld by all state institutions, and most of all, by the patriotic people of our country.

    • Prosecution of the global anti-terror campaign poses formidable challenges in multiple domains. This also includes moral and legal questions, which must be addressed collectively, with clarity and conviction.

    • Pakistan has amply demonstrated its resolve to defeat terrorism. We have done so in our own national interest and seek no acknowledgement or credit in this regard from any one. We have demonstrated that Pakistan is a resilient nation; that our state institutions are fully capable of overcoming all challenges and upholding Pakistan’s national interests.

    • Osama bin Laden is history. Let us also not forget that there is also a history to the making of Osama bin Laden and what he signified.

    • Pakistan is, certainly, is not the birthplace of Al-Qaeda, nor did we invite Al-Qaeda or Osama bin Laden to Pakistan.v

    • Following 9/11, the Coalition military operations in Afghanistan resulted in the dispersal of Al-Qaeda. It is worth-reminding that around forty Al-Qaeda key operatives were tracked and arrested by Pakistani intelligence and security agencies in the last ten years in various cities in Pakistan. Pakistan played an important role in degrading and dismantling of the Al-Qaeda networks.

    • It is also worth recalling that Al-Qaeda declared war against Pakistan and targeted our people and institutions. They launched waves after waves of suicide bombers.

    • As far as operation against Osama bin Ladin on 2 May, we have stated clearly that this operation was conducted directly by the US forces. Our leadership, civil as well as military, had no prior knowledge of this particular operation.

    • We have officially expressed our deep concern and reservations on the manner in which the government of the United States carried out this operation without prior information or authorization of the Government of Pakistan.

    • We have also officially stated that this event of unauthorized unilateral action cannot be taken as a rule. Nor could such an event serve as a future precedent by any state, including the United States.

    • Such unilateral actions could undermine cooperation and may also, some time, constitute a threat to international peace and security.

    • The Government of Pakistan and its armed forces consider support of the people of Pakistan to be its mainstay and actual strength. Any actions contrary to their aspirations, therefore, run against the very basis on which the edifice of national defence and security is based.

    • Pakistan Army and intelligence agencies have played a pivotal role in breaking the back of Al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations in Pakistan as well as around the world.

    • Most of the successes achieved by the US and some other friendly countries have been the result of effective intelligence cooperation and extremely useful military support by Pakistan. The Government of Pakistan and its security forces have resolved to continue their fight against terrorism till people of Pakistan can live in peace and security.

    • I would also like to address some of the speculative reports on this subject. The fact is that Abbottabad and the surrounding area has been under sharp focus of intelligence agencies since 2003, resulting into highly technical operation by ISI, which led to arrest of high value Al-Qaeda target in 2004.

    • As far as the target compound is concerned, ISI had been sharing information with CIA and other friendly intelligence agencies since 2009. The intelligence flow, indicating some foreigners in the surroundings of Abbottabad, continued till mid-April 2011.

    • It is important to highlight that taking advantage of much superior technological assets, the CIA exploited the intelligence leads given by us to identify and reach Osama bin Laden – a fact also acknowledged by the US President and Secretary of State, in their statements.

    • It is also important to mention that CIA and some other friendly intelligence agencies have benefited a great deal from the intelligence provided by ISI. ISI’s own achievements against Al-Qaeda and in the war on terror are more than any other intelligence agency in the world.

    • Reports about US helicopters taking off from Ghazi airbase are absolutely false and incorrect. Neither any base or facility inside Pakistan was used by the US forces, nor Pakistan Army provided any operational or logistic assistance to these operations, conducted by the US forces. US helicopters entered Pakistani airspace making use of blind spots in the radar coverage due to hilly terrain.

    • US helicopters’ undetected flight into Pakistan was also facilitated by the mountainous terrain, efficacious use of latest technology and “nap of the earth” flying techniques. It may not be realistic to draw an analogy between this undefended civilian area and some military/security installations, which have elaborate local defence arrangements.

    • On receipt of information regarding the incident, Pakistan Air Force scrambled its jets within minutes. This has been corroborated by the White House Advisor, Mr. John Brennan, who, while replying to a question, said: “We didn’t contact the Pakistanis until after all of our people, all of our aircraft were out of Pakistani airspace. At the time, the Pakistanis were reacting to an incident that they knew was taking place in Abbotabad. Therefore, they were scrambling some of their assets. Clearly, we were concerned that if the Pakistanis decided to scramble jets or whatever else, they didn’t know who were on those jets. They had no idea about who might have been on there, whether it be US or somebody else. So, we were watching and making sure that our people and our aircraft were able to get out of Pakistani airspace. And thankfully, there was no engagement with Pakistani forces. This operation was designed to minimize the prospects, the chances of engagement with Pakistani forces. It was done very well, and thankfully no Pakistani forces were engaged and there were no other individuals who were killed aside from those on the compound.”

    • There has been a lot of discussion about the nature of the targeted compound, particularly its high walls and its vicinity to the areas housing Pakistan Army elements. It needs to be appreciated that many houses occupied by the affectees of operations in FATA/KPK, have high boundary walls, in line with their culture of privacy and security. Houses with such layout and structural details are not a rarity.

    • Questions have also been asked about the whereabouts of the family members of Osama bin Laden. They are all in safe hands and being looked after in accordance with law. Some of them, needing medical care, are under treatment in the best possible facilities. As per policy, they will be handed over to their countries of origin.