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KARACHI: At around midnight in Washington DC, the crowd outside the White House had grown significantly. There seems to be a celebration for the decade’s most high-profile achievement that happened during Barack Obama’s presidency.
Osama bin Laden, America’s most wanted since September 11 was reportedly killed by the US in a compound in Abbotabad, as reported by American media. "Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that has killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda," Obama said.
The world’s most wanted man, responsible for the worst terrorist atrocities ever committed and the subject of the biggest man hunt in history, has finally been killed. His death was the greatest victory in a decade-long fight to defeat the al Qaeda and prevent more attacks on ‘American soil’, emphasised Obama.
The question for Pakistan is whether we will see a massive change of US foreign policy. A U-turn in Af-Pak strategy? Not quite. As Interior Minister Rahman Malik and Prime Minister Yousuf Gillani had perpetually insisted that Osama was not within our borders, Pakistan certainly has some explaining to do.
Media Covergae
The global media coverage from US to the UK, shows an insinuation of future hostility of the world towards Pakistan on this issue.
A report published in The Washington Post titled Pakistan Deserves No Credit for bin Laden lashes out on claims on Pakistan intelligence officials who claim to take credit in the involvement.
Another story published by The Telegraph titled Osama bin Laden killed in Pakistan reveals the US efforts in bin Laden’s search and focuses on the one-sided achievements of the Obama administrations, dismantling any connection of Pakistan’s assistance in it’s extended struggle to find Osama.
According to The Telegraph, “Mr Obama had earlier telephoned President George W. Bush to inform him about what had happened. Mr Bush later released a statement saying that “this momentous achievement marks a victory for America”.
Many US critics and broadcast coverage is now raising questions about how Pakistan could have clumsily, if not deliberately following a weedy and disorganised strategy to seek Osama, quoting President Zardari in his statement to CNN where he mentioned he thought Osama was not alive.
BBC in its top report quotes India calling Pakistan ‘a terror sanctuary’.
These stories are and will only fuel rage against Pakistan while we struggle with the militancy that Osama has left behind.
The immediate implications of Osama’s death do not look good, especially for Pakistan as many inspired militant groups may set out to revolt and violently protest his death.
As the latest tweet on this confirms:
@sharmeenochinoy: Got off phone w/my maddrassas contact. Great mourning planned according to him. Pakistan will pay a high price for this.
Pakistan is surely going to face some fresh challenges in the wake of Osama’s decease, such challenges we are certainly not prepared for.
