Pak parliament condemns US raid

The warning was part of a resolution adopted early Saturday morning following a marathon 11-hour joint session of the two houses of parliament that was briefed by top military officials on the covert American operation against the al-Qaeda chief.

Parliament also demanded that the government appoint “an independent commission on the Abbottabad operation, fix responsibility and recommend necessary measures to ensure that such an incident does not recur.”

The resolution condemned the “US unilateral action” against the dreaded terrorist, saying it “constitutes a violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty.” Parliament said “unilateral actions, such as those conducted by the US forces in Abbottabad, as well as the continued drone attacks on the territory of Pakistan, are not only unacceptable but also constitute violation of the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, international law and humanitarian norms.”

If the drone attacks in Pakistan’s tribal belt are not “stopped forthwith,” the government “will be constrained to consider taking necessary steps, including withdrawal of transit facility allowed to Nato/ISAF forces (in Afghanistan),” the resolution said.

National interests

The resolution called on the government to “revisit and review its terms of engagement with the US with a view to ensuring that Pakistan’s national interests are fully respected and accommodated in pursuit of policies for countering terrorism and achieving reconciliation and peace in Afghanistan.”

ISI chief Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha, whose organisation has come in for sharp criticism for its failure to detect bin Laden’s presence in Abbottabad, offered to resign for the “intelligence failure” during the stormy session, according to media reports.

Top military officers, including the ISI chief, Director General of Military Operations Maj Gen Ashfaq Nadeem Ahmed and deputy air force chief Air Vice Marshal Asim Suleman faced stinging questions from lawmakers during the session held behind closed doors.