Former Foreign Minister and Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi has demanded resignation of President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on the US raid in Abbottabad to kill Osama Bin Laden. He was addressing a news conference at Lahore Press Club on Saturday.
He also demanded that action should be taken against the heads of the army and the Inter-Services Intelligence provided they are held responsible by any official inquiry into the incident. "I demand that the President and the Prime Minister must resign," he said, adding: "If they cannot defend the people of Pakistan, they have no right to stay in power."
He said the US had crossed a red line by carrying out a military operation to kill bin Laden without Pakistan's permission. Pakistan is a partner of the US in the war on terror, "but is this an answer to our commitment and sacrifices?" he asked.
He said this was such a major incident and the impression being given of business as usual is unjustified. According to him, the public is asking for fixing the responsibility of the incident. He said he would raise a demand of resignation from the President and the Prime Minister in the central executive committee of the party.
On the role of the chiefs of army and ISI he said: "If the inquiry committee holds people responsible in those ranks, then heads must roll." He said Pakistanis were looking for leadership that could "feel and die" for the country. He also criticised President Zardari for having time to write an article for a US newspaper on the issue of bin Laden but neither he nor the prime minister bothered to take the nation into confidence.
He said the Prime Minister should immediately call a meeting of the Defence Committee of Cabinet and discuss this matter which matters the whole nation. Every Pakistani was angry and embarrassed over the bin Laden episode, he added.
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