ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-N leader Siddiqul Farooq called on Monday for an inquiry into the terrorist attack on the Naval airbase in Karachi by the same independent commission which was to be formed to investigate the US commando action in Abbottabad.

However, the demand made by Mr Farooq at a news conference at the party’s central secretariat was later disowned by the PML-N leadership.

Senator Pervaiz Rashid, who is the official spokesman for the Punjab government, said: “Whenever such a decision is taken it will be announced by the higher authorities in the party.”

Moreover, Senator Rashid said the independent commission on the Abbottabad incident was being formed in accordance with a resolution passed unanimously by a joint session of two houses of parliament and its mandate could not be changed.

He said the resolution had clearly stated the mandate and task of the yet-to-be-formed commission and, therefore, it was not appropriate to make such a demand.

At his news conference Mr Farooq asked “Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to sit with Leader of Opposition Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan immediately and form the commission to investigate the Abbottabad episode as well as the PNS Mehran tragedy in order to bring to light the weaknesses in the defence system and expose the facts that led to defamation of the country and its security agencies”.