Representatives of the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC), Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), Punjab Bar Council (PbBC), Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) and Lahore Bar Association (LBA) on Monday demanded an investigation of the Abbotabad operation by an impartial commission and punishment for the responsible people whether the president, prime minister or some officers of the armed forces.
Holding a joint press conference, the representatives said that the commission should include non-controversial retired judges and some people from other walks of life. Terming Operation Geronimo against the sovereignty of Pakistan, they said that deficiencies in intelligence agencies should be pointed out for their ignorance of the attack.
PBC Vice Chairman Latif Afridi said that the operation was on the integrity and solidarity of Pakistan.
He said that after this attack, it seemed that existence of Pakistan was in danger and it is time to hold accountability of intelligence agencies. Afridi said that agencies play the role of “ears and eyes” of the federal government but after this attack, their ability to fulfil duties is exposed. He said in civilised countries, responsible officers must have resigned after such an incident but in our country, different statements are being published for fixing the responsibility on others.
Afridi said that a commission should be constituted consisting of brave and impartial members, which would bring realities about the attack before the public. He said that whosoever responsible of the negligence, including the president, prime minister or officers of intelligence agencies must be brought to book after taking resignations from them.
SCBA President Asma Jahangir termed Geronimo as an attack on sovereignty of Pakistan and said that deficiencies of intelligence agencies must be pointed out after their failure in assessing the presence of foreign helicopters in territory of the country. She said that it is time to realise sensitivity of the affairs. Asma said earlier, East Pakistan was ruined, the Hamoodur Rehman Commission Report was swept under the carpet and there was no information what happened to the Kargil Commission.
The SCBA president criticised the elevation of judges by excluding Lahore lawyers. SCBA Secretary Qamar Zaman Qureshi said that the horrible attacks of 9/11 occurred in the US, which claimed to be the safest country then how could other countries be saved? He said that after the Abbotabad operation, it was not fair to criticise our own institutions. Qamar said that there should be an impartial investigation to unearth the truth.
PBC members Ahsan Bhoon, Azam Nazir Tarar, LHCBA Secretary Arshad Malik, PbBC Vice Chairman Lehrasib Gondal and LBA President Shehzad Sheikh were also present on the occasion.
