After clearance by the Abbottabad enquiry commission that al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden’s wives can leave the country, Pakistan has established contacts with their home countries, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, for their repatriation. Pakistan had no problems with the repatriation of bin Laden’s three wives, who were taken into custody by Pakistani security forces in the wake of a covert US raid on the al Qaeda chief’s compound on May 2, but the Abbottabad enquiry commission had directed the government not to let them leave the country until they were questioned.
Pakistani authorities wanted to include them in the Abbottabad incident probe, which has now been done. “Now that the enquiry commission has allowed the travel abroad of bin Laden’s wives there is no hurdle in their journey back to their respective countries and that is why we have contacted the governments of Saudi Arabia and Yemen for the purpose,” a Pakistani diplomat said on Friday, seeking anonymity.
The diplomat said that in light of another enquiry commission order, treason charges could be pressed against Dr Shakil Afridi, who allegedly helped the CIA track down bin Laden by arranging for a fake vaccination campaign in Abbottabad.
