The killing of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in a covert US military operation, on May 2, has brought the Pak-US relations at the crossroads, the future of which is premature to determine in the present uncertain environment. Ever since Pakistan joined the SEATO and CENTO in early 50s, Pak-US relations have seen many ups and downs. So, the present standoff not only between Islamabad and Washington, but also between GHQ and the Pentagon is a matter of grave concern. This has surprisingly happened for the first time in the history of the love-hate relationship between the two allies. That too, in the middle of a joint war effort against terrorism, in which Pakistan has suffered more casualties than all the other allies, especially at a time when both the countries know that neither can win it without each others support. Against this backdrop, the unilateral action in Abbottabad had not only shocked the civilian and military leadership, but also the people of Pakistan. As a result, people demanded answers from the leadership both civilian and military; they were frustrated for being kept in the dark. No form of government can hope to survive if it ignores public sentiment. Keeping this in view, the military authorities asked the federal government to take people into confidence before their patience runs out and also offered themselves for accountability before Parliament surely setting a rare precedent in the history of Pakistan. The President and Prime Minister agreed, and so an in-camera session of the National Assembly and Senate was held on Friday. Both the parliamentarians and the people welcomed the briefing by the leadership of the armed forces in Fridays joint session. DG ISI Lieutenant General Ahmad Shuja Pasha, PAF Chief Rao Qamar Suleman and Deputy Chief of Air Staff (Operations) Air Marshal Mohammad Hassan briefed the parliamentarians and responded wisely to their questions; this has helped to remove the uncertainty that prevailed for almost two weeks after the Osamas death. It is important to note that the civilian and military leadership jointly agreed to share a part of the briefing with the media. This decision was quite important, since it was necessary to take our own people as well as the international community into confidence; nothing was hidden and all the issues were discussed in a transparent manner. In this context, it can be concluded that: i The May 2 covert US operation is unanimously regarded by the Pakistani leadership as a grave violation of the countrys territorial sovereignty, which will not be tolerated. i The supreme authority of the state lies in Parliament has been publicly acknowledged by the armed forces, who unconditionally accepted all the responsibility for the major security lapse. It is for the first time in Pakistans history that a serving DG ISI had accepted the responsibility for the security lapse in Abbottabad and offered to resign. One wonders, whether our political leadership would be able to follow Pashas example i PML-Ns senior leader Makhdoom Javed Hashmis suggestion to the General on his resignation was typical of his fine leadership traits. Addressing Pasha, he said: We forgive you as you are shouldering many responsibilities. However, dish out a few to us. i The drones can be shot down, as declared by the PAF Chief, if ordered. It was also stated that the Shamsi Air Base was owned by UAE, who paid for the land and the constructed an airstrip that is controlled now by the US. i The high mark of the session was the resolution passed at the end of the eleven-hour briefing recommending the review of Pak-US ties, Pakistans role in the war on terror and disrupting of NATO supplies if the drone attacks on the Pakistani territory are not stopped. As a final word, General Kayani has acted as a wise captain, while General Pasha has played a good innings and emerged as the 'man of the match after the in-camera session. n The writer is the President of the Pakistan National Forum.