Says Pakistan PM of charges that its military sheltered Osama bin Laden
Says Pakistan PM of charges that its military sheltered Osama bin Ladenu00a0
Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said that his country was not the birthplace of al Qaeda and could not be held accountable alone for the creation of the terror network. While addressing the Parliament, he said, "Allegations of complicity or incompetence are absurd. We emphatically reject such accusations." He added, "We are determined to get to the bottom of how, when and why about OBL's presence in Abbottabad."
Gilani told Parliament that the country was determined not to allow its soil to be used for militancy. He said the US's unilateral action "runs the risk of serious consequences," but that its relations with Washington were important.
The premier has been under mounting pressure from both Washington and his own people after bin Laden was confirmed to have been living in an urban compound only 55 km from Islamabad. In a thinly veiled allusion to US funding for Pakistan's role in the 1990s war against Soviet troops in Afghanistan, which ultimately gave birth to the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, Gilani said it was unfair for Pakistan to take all blame.
"Collectively, we must acknowledge facts and see our faces in the mirror of history. Pakistan alone cannot be held to account for flawed policies and blunders of others," he said in his televised speech. "We did not invite Osama bin Laden to Pakistan or even to Afghanistan." Meanwhile, hundreds of Taliban rallied in the Pakistani tribal town of Wana, condemning the killing and vowing revenge against DC and Islamabad.
