Bin Laden raid: Petition filed in Pak court

Lahore: A petition has been filed in a Pakistani court asking it to direct the government to declare the US Ambassador "persona non grata" and stop transit facilities for supplies to American forces in Afghanistan if Washington does not apologise for the military raid that killed Osama bin Laden.

The petition, filed by lawyer Javed Iqbal Jaffrey in the Lahore High Court on Saturday, says the government should refer the matter to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) if there is no response from the US.

Jaffrey contended that the US is bound to accept the jurisdiction of the ICJ under a treaty of friendship signed in 1959.

The petition says the government should refer the matter to the International Court of Justice.

He said the "spineless policies" of Pakistani leaders, including former premier Nawaz Sharif, slain ex-prime minister Benazir Bhutto and former President Pervez Musharraf, had "encouraged" the US to carry out the operation in Abbotabad to kill bin Laden without any fear.

"All the leaders lack courage to stand against the US as all have been taking dollars from it by handing over innocent Pakistanis," he claimed.

In the petition, he asked the court to direct the government to declare the US Ambassador "persona non grata" and stop transit facilities for supplies to American forces in Afghanistan if Washington does not apologise for the military raid that killed bin Laden.

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