PESHAWAR: A petition was filed with the Peshawar High Court on Monday seeking its orders for the Commission on Inquiry into Abbottabad Incident to look into the crash of a US helicopter during the 2011 raid on the hideout of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad.

The petitioner, Shahid Orakzai, a freelance journalist, also prayed the court to ask the Inter-Services Intelligence to provide technical assistance to the commission for the inquiry.

The petitioner claimed that in May 2011, the US Navy helicopter that attempted to sling down commandos on the roof of Osama’s hideout in Abbottabad was immediately shot down by his (Osama) vigilant guards.

He added that the inquiry commission had completely ignored the ill-timed crash as well as the cause and terribly failed to read the actual plan.

The petitioner insisted that the CIA’s mission was to capture Osama than killing him but the crash changed it all.

He added that contrary to the well-rehearsed drill home, not a single US soldier could jump to the roof that night and the plan to arrest Osama practically crashed along with the chopper.

“The US Navy and the Mission commander were completely baffled by resistance met in the very first minute,” he claimed.

The petitioner said the court should take note that none of the three supporting helicopters could make a second attempt on the roof.

He said the country’s prime intelligence agency, the ISI, was duty bound to expose the tactical failing of midnight intruders and report their military blunder to the people of the US.

“The ISI had the required military backup from the Air Force to analyse the episode from A to Z, including Osama’s death by friendly fire,” he said.

He said the petition was meant to bring the matter to the high court as it had an exclusive legal duty to apprise the people of the United States and the Republican administration about the actual facts of the ‘twisted’ Abbottabad operation.

The petitioner claimed that both CIA and Pentagon did not hold any military briefing on the operation primarily to prevent media discussion.

“The downing of the helicopter was the first disappointment that virtually demoralised the attack team,” he said.

The respondents in the petition are the Commission of Inquiry into Abbottabad Incident and the ISI.

Published in Dawn, May 8th, 2018