Lahore, May 30 (IANS) After squabbling over the killing of Osama bin Laden, Washington and Islamabad have decided to jointly target ‘high value targets’ among Islamists inside Pakistan, a minister has said.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik gave this indication Sunday after announcing that an independent commission is to be set up in a day or two to probe the Osama killing May 2.
Associated Press of Pakistan quoted Malik as saying that it seemed the Taliban had intensified their attacks in Pakistan after Osama’s killing by American commandos.
He indicated that joint operations with the US against ‘high-value targets’ — he did not say from which group — would be launched in future inside Pakistan.
Osama was gunned down by US Navy commandos who sneaked into Pakistan using stealth helicopters and stormed the Al Qaeda leader’s hideout in Abbottabad city.
The minister also announced a prize of Rs.5 million for any information leading to the arrest of Islamists who attacked a huge Pakistani navy base in Karachi May 22.
Terrorists took virtual control of the PNS Mehran base for about 16 hours before security forces seized control. The attackers destroyed two costly surveillance aircraft sold by the US.
