Washington : Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States Jalil Abbas Jilani has claimed that al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden posed an existential threat to Islamabad.
Jilani said that a brochure titled ‘Jihad in Pakistan’ reportedly written by Laden and released by the office of Director, National Intelligence, in March this year, lists the reasons why Islamabad was considered an enemy.
“The brochure can be viewed at the DNI’s website and is yet another testimony to the fact that terrorism threatens Pakistan and the United States as a common enemy,” the Express Tribune quoted Jilani, as saying.
He clarified that Pakistan did not shelter the al Qaeda leader.
“The presence of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Pakistan has often been cited to question its sincerity in fighting terrorism, in spite of the fact that it has been established beyond doubt that he was hiding in Pakistan without information or any help by the state,” he added.
The ambassador said that the US leadership involved in the specific operation then where Osama was killed, has clearly rejected any insinuation of Islamabad’s complicity.
“This includes the statement by Admiral William McRaven, who supervised the operation, that there was no evidence that Pakistani government knew about the whereabouts of Osama Bin Laden,” he said.
He asserted that misgivings about his country’s role in the fight against terrorism must stop as Islamabad has suffered most in fighting the menace.
He also said that Pakistan helped the United States capture key operatives involved in the 9/11 attacks. (ANI)