12 May,2011 08:33 AM IST | | Agencies
Pakistan's main opposition leader Nawaz Sharif yesterday demanded that the government form a judicial commission within three days to ascertain how Osama bin Laden was able to hide in the country, and asked his countrymen to stop relying on US aid. Dismissing PM Yousuf Raza Gilani's announcement of a probe by the army's Adjutant General as inadequate, Sharif said the proposed judicial commission should also probe whether there was any tacit agreement permitting operations by US forces in Pakistani territory. The former premier said the commission should "determine the nature and causes of failures of the civil and military authorities" in all matters related to bin Laden's presence in the country and the US raid that killed him.
The commission should "fix responsibility for and propose actions against persons responsible for the said failures compromising the dignity, self-respect and sovereignty of Pakistan", he said. Sharif said he had written to Gilani seeking the formation of the judicial commission to be headed by Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry.
He said the probe is necessary in "view of the extremely serious crisis facing Pakistan and intense sense of insecurity and despondency among people as a result of the US operation", he said. Sharif said Pakistanis should stand up as honourable people and stop "begging" for foreign aid as this was destroying the country.
"This is my strong belief that if this country had been on a democratic track there would not have been any gun running here, nor would there be terrorism, extremism and poverty," he said. Sharif's demand came after mounting criticism of Gilani's government.
