US to be given access to Osama’s widows: Malik
ISLAMABAD: Minister for Interior Rehman Malik Tuesday said the Pakistani government would give US access to Osama Bin Laden’s widows.
In an interview with CNN, Malik denied speculations that the world’s most wanted terrorist may have had a supportive network in Pakistani government, military or intelligence services.
Meanwhile, talking to an Indian channel, Malik said he had sent a “private message” to India’s Home Minister P Chidambaram that the Osama incident should not cast a shadow on the Indo-Pak relations.
Malik appealed to the world to view Pakistan as a victim of terrorism. He said he knew about the Osama operation “15-20 minutes after it started”. He also said that ISI had provided the initial intelligence about al-Qaeda operatives to America’s CIA.
Asked why the ISI had not acted earlier, Malik said that, “We’ll fix responsibility…the agency as a whole hasn’t failed.” He also said, “We admit partly failure of intelligence. A probe has been ordered. Pakistan’s soil shall not be used for terror”.
Reiterating the point that Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani made in his statement to the Parliament Monday, the minister said Pakistan could not be faulted in the Osama incident. Osama, he said, had used guerrilla techniques to hide in Abbottabad. The al-Qaeda chief, he said, was “a criminal, a terrorist” who had killed many people in Pakistan and also tried to assassinate former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto twice.
No one in Pakistan, Malik said, questioned the killing of Osama. But they did question the way it was done, he said. “The sovereignty of Pakistan has been hit, as the US should have shared information with us.”
Malik denied media reports that Pakistan had sanctioned a unilateral operation to get Osama. The minister echoed Gilani again when he said foreign agencies, including the CIA, had created Osama bin Laden.
The minister said he had sent a private message to P Chidambaram, appealing him “not to allow the Osama bin Laden operation to cast a shadow on Pak-India relations.” He described Chidambaram as a “man of wisdom; I have a lot of respect for him.” Asked to comment on Chidambaram’s statement that if 9/11 victims had got their justice, what about victims of 26/11, Malik said the delay in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks case trial was not because of the Pakistan government but because of the courts.
His government, he said, had filed an appeal in the High Court to allow us to take voice samples of 26/11 suspects. He also said that Pakistan was open to allowing the Indian judicial commission access to 26/11 suspects, though he emphasised that this would be “only on a strictly reciprocal basis”.
“We are awaiting formal clearance for Pakistan’s judicial commission to travel to India,” Malik added.
While addressing the passing out parade of the 36th batch specialized training programme of the Assistant Superintendent of Police held here at the National Police Academy (NPA), Malik said that role of police force is vital for maintaining law and order situation in the country. He stressed the need to have conducive attitude towards the common man.
Source: The News
Date:5/11/2011
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