ISLAMABAD, Nov 10: Tehrik-i-Istiqlal (TI) president Air Marshal (Rtd) Asghar Khan on Saturday asked Osama bin Laden to appear before the International Court of Justice at Hague.

This is the only honourable way for him to repay the debt for the hospitality he has received in Afghanistan all these years, he said in statement issued here.

Mr Khan said the death sentence had been abolished at the International Court of Justice, hence Osama could only get a life imprisonment at the maximum, if the charges were proved against him. If found innocent, he can also go free, he added.

He said the bombing in Afghanistan should be stopped even before the advent of Ramazan. It has been estimated that about 100,000 children will die in the war-ravaged country during the next few days if food items do not reach them in time.

The attacks should be halted with a view to providing relief supplies to the affected people before the start of winter, the TI chief observed. He said this gesture by the United States would not only earn them the gratitude of the Afghan people, but also support their war against terrorism. Mr Khan also expressed the hope that sanity would prevail and a realistic approach emerge to resolve the crisis.