Adil Najam
Late during the night between May 1 and May 2 in Pakistan there was news floating of a low-flying helicopter having blown up in the city of Abbottabad. There was much speculation, some wild rumors, but no confirmation of what had happened. Then, late night May 1 US East Coast Time (some six hours after the news about from Abbottabad had first started circulating in Pakistan), television screens in the US started flashing a notice that President Barack Obama would soon speak to the nation on a security issue. Rumors and speculation started flashing again.
(Unconfirmed – and, now, reportedly fake – photo of Osama Bin Laden’s dead body being shown on a private TV channel in Pakistan)
Soon it was confirmed that the news was that Osama Bin Laden had been killed: President Obama then confirmed that ke was killed in Pakistan, in Abbottabad, in an operation led by the US but conducted with support of Pakistani authorities (still not clear how much support, and whose). Reportedly, the US now has possession of Osama Bin Laden’s body.
This is a huge development in the War on Terror, even if Osama Bin Laden’s actual role had now become symbolic rather than operational. It is a development that also has huge implications for Pakistan, and for Pakistan-US relations.
More details are trickling by the minute. And partly for that reason it is not yet clear just what happened and which details are confirmed and which are speculation. What is now confirmed is: (a) Osama Bin Laden has been killed, (b) Osama Bin Laden was killed by US forces, (c) Osama Bin Laden was killed in Pakistan, (d) Osama Bin Laden was killed in an operation that was eventually supported by Pakistani authorities, and (e) CNN has no idea about anything that has to do with Pakistan (according to them Abbottabad is an outskirt just outside Islamabad!
As details come in and as a narrative and reactions develop both in Washington and in Islamabad, the one big – the one biggest – question that every Pakistani is thinking about is: What will this mean for Pakistan-US relations? What will this mean for Pakistan and Pakistanis? What will this mean for terrorism within Pakistan as a backlash of this incident?
What do you think?
There will be a backlash and we will see increase in attacks in Pakistan by terrorists.
shame.
abbottabad is military city. the ISI and military will ruin Pakistan.
I am ashamedto be a pakistani. When will we realize that our military and ISI is destroying the country. Their greed for power needs chaps like Taliban and OBL alive — sometimes I think India is friendlier to Pakistan than its own army — unthinkable few years ago. Pakistan can only prosper when it demilitarizes.
This was an operation that was undertaken with Pakistan help. In arrogant reporting the US media is underplaying that and again not giving credit where it is due and taking all credit themselves.
Initial reports indicate it was a joint Pak-US operation. Obama is of course emphasizing “US” operation to get maximum political mileage and Pakistan is probably happy with it to avoid militant’s ire. Indians on twitter are busy maligning Pakistan every way possible. U.S. mainstream papers(most of them have general anti-pakistan outlook) will probably minimize Pakistan corporation and add a lot of “but” and “and” about billions in aid, taliban sanctuaries in tribal area etc. It might improve official relationship between two countries.