Daily Times

Sir: The recent revelations in the New York Times that Pakistani intelligence may have been colluding with Osama bin Laden in keeping his location a secret are something of a late slap on the wrist for said intelligence agencies. It seems hard to believe that the world’s most wanted terrorist could have been hiding in Abbottabad, a military hub, without anyone knowing about it. If they didn’t, then we have serious problems that have nothing to do with our policy towards terrorism, the War on Terror, or our relationship with the US. If India is to be believed then our intelligence services, particularly Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) are quite effective, particularly when it comes to knowing the whereabouts of Islamist terrorists. That said, however, the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is no patsy either; the darkness surrounding inter-agency relationships, and the effectiveness of political timing can’t be legitimately ignored in the wake of this report. We need to know the truth about Abbottabad, and if necessary, heads must roll, on both sides of this strategic ‘partnership’.

CHAUDHRY AHSAN

Islamabad