Osama bin Laden’s family deports to Saudi Arabia

At last, the family of Osama bin Laden, who was killed in a US Navy Seals raid on May 02, 2011, has been deported from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia, in the early hours of Friday.

The three widows of Osama bin Laden and their children, who masterminded the 9-11 attacks, were in custody of Pakistani officials after the Al-Qaeda chief was killed in the garrison city of Abbottabad.

According to the Interior Ministry, which was responsible for the family, it had released the orders for deportation of 14 members of Osama bin Laden family in pursuance of the court ruling.

It added, “The family was kept safe and sound in a guest house. They have been deported to the country of their choice, Saudi Arabia”.

A chartered plane with bin Laden’s widows and children on board took off from Islamabad airport.

The latest development ends months of speculation about the fate of the family, which was detained by Pakistani security forces.

Aamir Khalil, the lawyer of the deposed family said, “Yes, they’re being deported to Saudi Arabia. It is a special flight, and they’re looking to depart in the next hour and a half or so”.

A white minivan pulled up to take them to the airport at the guesthouse in Islamabad where the family was being held. Earlier, the women refused to enter the van with a crush of media around it, so officials covered its windows with plastic sheets.

A session-court sentenced the women of Osama bin Laden’s family to 45 days in prison for entering Pakistan illegally. Furthermore, it ordered their deportation after the prison term, which began on March 3 when they were formally arrested.

Once outside Pakistan, the family could reveal details about how the world’s most wanted man was able to hide in Pakistan for years, possibly assisted by elements of its powerful military and spy agency.

Any revelations about ties to bin Laden could embarrass Pakistan and anger the US, which had been hunting the Al-Qaeda chief since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.

Pakistani officials depicts bin Laden’s long existence in the hill-town of Abbottabad as a security lapse and reject suggestions that members of the military and intelligence agencies were involved in hiding him there.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=20423

Posted by Faisal Farooq on Apr 27 2012. Filed under Latest News, National, Pakistan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.