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Sat, 7th May 2011  Pressure is building on the Yusuf Raza Gilani’s government in Pakistan over Islamabad's handling of the Osama bin Laden killing. Leading the charge in Pakistan is opposition leader Imram Khan.
In an exclusive interview to CNN-IBN Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Sardesai, Imran called upon the Pakistan government to quit hiding the Osama truth from the people of Pakistan which left the country embarrassed and humiliated.
Rajdeep Sardesai: You seem to have become a magnet Imran, specially since Osama's killing this week for the anti-American forces in Pakistan. Do you believe that the Osama killing in the manner which the Americans did, it was wrong in some way?
Imran Khan: Well, I dispute that because it’s not anti American that is rampant in Pakistan right now, tt’s anti-Pakistani government. The anger is all coming out against the Pakistan government for the way they handled the whole thing. You know the big question is that the Prime Minister and President have still not come out with a clear statement about what happened.
Rajdeep Sardesai: Are you saying that the Pakistan civilian administration President Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani are hiding something from the people of Pakistan, something about the operation which they don’t want the people to know?
Imran Khan: People are sick of the lies, so many times they have lied. Like the Raymond Davis case, the government said they will put him on trial in Pakistan and then suddenly in the middle of the night completely prearranged with the Americans and he was whisked away. So again with this Osama episode, so many questions people want to know.
Rajdeep Sardesai: Are you then suggesting the Pakistan government colluded with the Americans to kill Osama but they don’t want admit it to people of Pakistan?
Imran Khan: No! That’s not what I’m saying. What I’m saying is we want to know if Pakistan had intelligence about Osama why did they not act? If we are allies of the Americans, why did they not tell the Pakistanis about the location? Why didn’t they conduct the raid themselves?
Rajdeep Sardesai: You have led the anti-American campaign in the last few days including an attempted blockade of supplies to the American forces in Afghanistan. In the process don’t you fear you may end becoming a tool in the hands of the jehadis who want the Americans out of Pakistan?
Imran khan: On the contrary it’s people like me who believe in democracy and justice and rule of law. If we don’t stand up for the rights of our people and become lackeys like the major part here who think that the only way to get into power is to boot polish the Americans, then we are playing into the hands of the extremists.
Rajdeep Sardesai: But do you really believe that what has happened in the last few days, the fact that Osama was maybe being sheltered by the Pakistani military, that the war against terror can really be won without the Americans in Pakistan?
Imran Khan: If you have a credible government, I’m telling you if the Americans left we would have peace here. The only problem in Afghanistan is before you leave you need to have a government of consensus there and that needs to start work right now. Because if they leave in a hurry there will be more bloodshed.  | 
