Pakistan allows Osama family to leave: daily

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Islamabad, March 6, IRNA -- Pakistan has allowed family members of slain al-Qaeda chief, Osama bin Laden, to leave the country, a Pakistani daily reported on Tuesday.

The Yemeni brother-in-law of Osama has arrived in Pakistan to shift his two Yemeni widows, the largely-circulated Urdu-language ‘Jang’ reported.

The American military forces had killed Osama bin Laden in Abbotabad in May, where he is believed to have lived for nearly five years.

A commission investigating the US raid and presence of the al-Qaeda chief in Pakistan has allowed the Osama family members to leave Pakistan as they were no more required for questioning. The commission members had interviewed Osama widows as part of the investigation.

Three widows of the al-Qaeda chief and their children are in the custody of Pakistani security agencies.

The report said that brother-in-law of Osama is busy in preparing documents for two Yemeni widows of the al-Qaeda chief. They will be shifted to Yemen.

There is no official confirmation of the report.

The daily quoted official sources as saying that the Osama family members have been shifted from a ‘safe house’ of the security agencies to another place in Islamabad.

Police commandos have been deployed for their protection, the report said.

The daily reported that the family could leave Pakistan in the couple of days.

Saudi authorities have refused to accept Osama's Saudi widow, the daily said.

The US raiding party had handed over all the family members of Osama after the 40-minute operation on May 2.

The security forces razed to ground the compound of Osama bin Laden late last month as it had been emerging a security concern in view of the daily visit of hundreds of people.

The compound was located just two kilometers from Pakistan’s major military academy, which also came under rocket attacks in late January. No one was hurt and the attack only caused minor damage to the wall of the academy.

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Islamic Republic News Agency/IRNA NewsCode: 80026048