Pakistan's High Commissioner to UK Wajid Shamsul Hassan. - File Photo

ISLAMABAD: The Abbottabad inquiry commission turned down on Monday a request by Pakistan's High Commissioner to UK Wajid Shamsul Hassan to record his statement through video conferencing.

According to sources, members of the commission minutely watched video clips of Mr Hassan's interviews to different media groups.

'After viewing the clips of his interviews to different international channels we saw that he was wellinformed about the May 2 incident. So we are insisting that he should appear before the commission to record his statement,' a member of the commission said.

The high commissioner had written a letter to the commission and sent a medical certificate, regretting that his health did not allow him to travel to Pakistan.

The commission discussed the request and decided that he should appear as soon as possible because the process of interviews and recording of statements had almost been completed.

On Monday, it conducted a detailed interview of Dr Ihsanullah Turabi, Provincial Coordinator for the National Programon Family Planning and Primary Healthcare in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, to ascertain how a fake polio vaccination campaign had been launched by Dr Shakeel Afridi to track down Al Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden.

The commission also recorded statements of Bashir Chohan, chief of the Comprehensive Security Services, Rawalpindi, and Maj (retd) Aamir Aziz, a resident of Bilal Colony in Abbottabad where the three-storey complex of Osama was raided by US commandos.

The meeting held at the cabinet division was presided over by Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal of the Supreme Court.

Lt-Gen (retd) Nadeem Ahmed, a member of the commission, also attended the meeting.

Opinion

Editorial

Business concerns
Updated 26 Apr, 2024

Business concerns

There is no doubt that these issues are impeding a positive business clime, which is required to boost private investment and economic growth.
Musical chairs
26 Apr, 2024

Musical chairs

THE petitioners are quite helpless. Yet again, they are being expected to wait while the bench supposed to hear...
Global arms race
26 Apr, 2024

Global arms race

THE figure is staggering. According to the annual report of Sweden-based think tank Stockholm International Peace...
Digital growth
Updated 25 Apr, 2024

Digital growth

Democratising digital development will catalyse a rapid, if not immediate, improvement in human development indicators for the underserved segments of the Pakistani citizenry.
Nikah rights
25 Apr, 2024

Nikah rights

THE Supreme Court recently delivered a judgement championing the rights of women within a marriage. The ruling...
Campus crackdowns
25 Apr, 2024

Campus crackdowns

WHILE most Western governments have either been gladly facilitating Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, or meekly...