Defence Secretary Lt Gen (r) Syed Athar Ali has informed the Inquiry Commission on Abbottabad Operation that the armed forces have instituted certain measures to preclude possibility of foreign military operation like May 02 that killed Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in a compound.
During the fourth meeting of the commission, under the chairmanship of Justice (r) Javed Iqbal, held in the Committee Room of the Cabinet Division, the defence secretary also explained that the strategic assets, unlike an undefended civilian compound, were well protected and an elaborate defensive mechanism was in place.
Athar gave a detailed statement to the commission explaining the salient features of the national defence policy. He stated that the defence policy was approved by the Defence Committee of the Cabinet which is headed by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.
He apprised the commission that none of the government departments, neither Defence Ministry nor even Joint Staff Headquarters or any military service, had ever considered the US or Afghanistan as a direct threat. The secretary said that the Abbottabad incident has left deep imprint on entire nation in general and the armed forces in particular.
He said that the armed forces were now better prepared to respond to any such recurrence, adequate safeguards have been taken. The defence forces have instituted certain measures to preclude possibility of such a recurrence in future accordingly, he said.
The meeting was attended by commission members, former minister Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, retired inspector general of police Abbas Khan, and Lt Gen (r) Nadeem Ahmed. The next meeting of the commission will be held soon after Eid holidays.
Abbottabad-like operation ruled out
