In the release and bailout of Raymond Davis and the drop scene on Osama bin Laden, the Pakistani nation has suffered an ignominy, much worse than the East Pakistan debacle, ironically both times the PPP leadership enacting the pantomime. As if that was not enough, bin Laden is reportedly spotted and taken out by a US Special Services Group in the Garrison town of Abbotabad in Pakistan, and President Obama merely informing the Pakistani President about the accomplishment, sends the corpse down the Arabian Sea, leaving no alibi to the identity of the slain and sunken Al-Qaeda leader. The Pakistani nation was shell-shocked over the universal disgrace, but much worse, its political leadership that very moment was engaged in the shameless musical chairs for power sharing. No one with average intelligence, leave alone the ever doubting American Administration, can be made to believe that Pakistans ISI was ignorant of the presence of the high-value target less than a kilometer away from the countrys elite training establishment. The indictment framed by the US is aimed at embarrassing the highly touted national Intelligence outfit, more so as the American President squarely threatens to repeat the incursion if need be. My gut feeling tells me that the episode was crafted to bring Pakistan Armys top brass under pressure, which has stood in the way of blindfolded compliance committed by its political leadership. Intriguingly, the Presidency and the PMs secretariat have been mum over why foreign boots were allowed to carry out the mission and violate its sovereignty, rather than demanding that Pakistan operates on its own. According to CIA Chief, Pakistan Army was not taken into confidence because the information would have been leaked to Osama. The Pakistani political leadership as usual was and continues to be in confusion over how to respond, as on the one hand they were in agreement with Obama that this was a historic achievement for both the US and Pakistan, while on the other, in clarifying that it was not a joint operation, the government hopes that Pakistan could save itself from Al-Qaeda reprisal attacks and a backlash from its own people. This is being very nave because Pakistan had earned itself the distinction of being target number one not only for Al-Qaeda but also for the Afghan Taliban ever since agreeing and acting as frontline ally of the US and its coalition against Afghanistan, bringing to naught its sacrifice of hosting over 3 million Afghan refugees since the Russian invasion of their land. Unless it is swiftly proved that the Osama escapade was another stage-managed act to bring Pakistan under further pressure, details of which could unravel in the days to come, much worse could happen. The US has now not only placed itself in a position to pressurise Pakistan to do more but also for it to explain a great deal including what safeguards have been taken for its strategic assets. Simultaneously, both the Taliban and Al-Qaeda will redouble their revenge against Pakistan for siding with their enemy and stabbing Afghanistan in the back; a perfect set-up by Uncle Sam. Pakistan should continue to rue why it agreed to play the mercenary role against a friendly Muslim neighbour. Osama did no service to the Muslim brotherhood across the globe. Pakistan has also not helped matters by being unable to put its case effectively before the world. Ever since joining the allied faade against self-invented terrorism, Pakistani leadership has been resorting to lies and keeping the nation in the dark rather than take it into confidence publicly for all its acts of omission and commission in the affairs of the state, be it foreign or internal policies. General Pasha declaring to the Joint Session of the Parliament that Raymond was released on orders of the President and the PM, has vividly exposed their hypocrisy. Noticeably it happened after John Kerrys last visit to Pakistan when he promised an inquest on Davis back home. Pakistan, instead, has been presented with a fait accompli, as the Pakistani premier brought further disgrace to the country if not his office, in not only entertaining a closed-door meeting after the Abbotabad episode with the same US Senator who at best was an emissary of the American secretary of state, but also issuing a joint statement with him and failing to reflect in it the contents of the Resolution of the Joint Session. With the Armed Forces having to carry the border of such decisions, what independence and sovereignty are we craving for? This is not to say that the US leadership is doing any better in being deceitful with Pakistan or with the rest of the world about their sham actions and dubious intent. Already accounts in the press abound that Osama being dead long ago and his body kept frozen, what the Americans have taken out of the compound in Abottabad was a cloned Osama look-alike, which is why they have supposedly plunged his body into the sea rather than give it a burial for fear of being excavated and the truth discovered. Not only have former Army Chief Gen Aslam Beg, and the renowned former ISI Chief Gen Hameed Gul exposed the American story, the fabrication is given further credence by a former American CIA Agent Barkhan Yasr who has even dated Osamas death as on 26 June 2006 due to prolonged illness with his three guards as witness. Yasr who now lives in Turkey faces life threat after this revelation. The White House spokesman pathetically contradicted himself in saying that Osama was unarmed and yet not taken alive because he resisted staunchly; pray What kind of resistance by an unarmed man? Why for the sake of credibility, Osamas body has not been shown to the world or his pictures released, and who will believe the cock and bull story that they were not released as it would have infuriated his sympathizers. As if for them the news of his killing was not enough to take revenge. And who will believe the results of a DNA carried out in such dubious circumstances with his remains no longer available? This and many more questions like those after 9/11 will continue to be asked, and remain unanswered. n Email: zaheerbhatti1@gmail.com