Pakistan ISI Chief Lt.-Gen. Pasha Heads For U.S. To Discuss Bin Laden Issue, Is Sought By New York Court

(Memri).Lt.-Gen. Shuja Pasha, the chief of Pakistani military’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) who is sought by a New York court for his agency’s role in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks case, has left for Washington to discuss Pakistan’s position over Osama bin Laden’s killing, according to a Pakistani daily.According to a report on the website of The Express Tribune daily, Lt.-Gen. Pasha left Friday for U.S. to discuss Pakistan’s position on the U.S. Navy SEALs unilateral assault to kill Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad last Sunday.

It should be noted that a court in New York recently summoned the ISI chief and a number of Pakistani military officials and militant commanders to appear in a case brought by relatives of American citizens killed in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. The Pakistani military, however, has neither confirmed nor denied reports of Lt.-Gen. Pasha’s visit to Washington, according to the report. The ISI chief is expected to meet CIA chief Leon Panetta during his visit with whom he will discuss intelligence sharing between the two countries.

"Pakistan has been facing the far right’s wrath at home and criticism abroad over the circumstances that had led to the killing of bin Laden. The killing of bin Laden has put a strain on Pak-U.S. relations," the report said.

In the New York court case, summonses were issued to Lt.-Gen. Pasha, other Pakistani army officials, Hafiz Muhammad Saeed (chief of Pakistani jihadist organization Lashkar-e-Taib) and Saeed’s accomplice Zakiur Rahman Lakhvi (who is in Pakistani custody over the Mumbai terror attacks.) It’s not clear whether the U.S. court has yet issued arrest warrants against them.

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