Abbottabad Commission chief calls for report to be made public

ISLAMABAD: Three years after submitting the findings surrounding a raid by US Special Forces in Abbottabad, the inquiry commission's head Justice retired Javed Iqbal demanded on Monday that the Abbottabad Inquiry Commission report be made public.

Speaking to Geo News, Justice (retired) Iqbal said the commission's report only focused on identifying those responsible for what happened.

The  Abbottabad Inquiry Commission investigated and reported the circumstances surrounding the May 2011 raid by US Special Forces at a compound in Abbottabad. The commission had interviewed over 300 witnesses and gave 200 recommendations in a 700 page report to the prime minister. The report was immediately classified, but a version was leaked by an international news network.

Speaking to Geo News' corresspondent Azaz Syed in Islamabad, Justice (retired) Javed Iqbal demanded that the government make the report public.

He shared that his daughter keeps asking whether Osama bin Laden was in Abbottabad or not and he keeps telling her that if he revealed that, nothing would remain in the report.

When asked about who was responsible, Justice retired Iqbal said he was bound by oath and could not reveal any such detail. He explained that the commission’s task was to identify those responsible and suggest action against those responsible, adding that only the government of Pakistan has the authority to identify those responsible before the public.

On the issue of missing persons, Justice (retired) Iqbal said many of the missing persons had been recovered. He added that he was surprised how the media failed to highlight the story about recovery of missing persons.

On the issue of missing persons, Justice (retired) Iqbal said many of the missing persons had been recovered. He added that he was surprised how the media failed to highlight the story about recovery of missing persons.

Justice (retired) Iqbal did however make it clear that the missing person commission received no cooperation from the institutions yet it had decided over 2,416 missing person cases.

Adding on the lack of cooperation, Justice Iqbal added that every institution that a complaint was received against was summoned to appear before the commission. He added that no solid evidence was received regarding the involvement of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) but added that no matter how high ranking an officer, if involved, the commission would take action against him.

Justice (retired) Iqbal did stress that Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan extended his cooperation for the recovery of missing persons.