Australia's Defence Minister Stephen Smith – Reuters (File Photo)
Pakistan is under intense pressure to explain how the al Qaeda chief could live within walking distance of the country’s key officer training academy in Abbottabad without the knowledge of senior officials.
As US commandos swooped on Bin Laden’s compound this week, the chairman of Pakistan’s joint chiefs of staff committee, General Khalid Shameem Wynne, was in Australia for top level defence and security talks.
The visit was hosted by Australian defence head Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston as part of defence talks between the two nations and included meetings with heads of national security agencies.
Australia is one of Pakistan’s biggest providers of military training.
Defence Minister Stephen Smith, who met with Wynne, said Bin Laden’s death was on the agenda.
“General Wynne, like President Zardari, was pleased that Bin Laden had been captured and killed,” Smith told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
“I think we have to be careful not to leap to conclusions about state sponsorship or the efforts made in Pakistan to trace down Bin Laden,” he added when asked if the issue had been raised.
Nevertheless, Smith told Wynne more must be done to tackle extremism and terrorism in Pakistan.
“We believe that Pakistan has improved its efforts on the counter-terrorism and extremism front, but it does need to do more and I have made that point again to General Wynne,” he said.
“But if we want Pakistan to do more on that front, there’s no point in Australia, there’s no point in the United States, there’s no point in the international community walking away.
“Pakistan needs to have all the assistance that it can be provided with by the international community.”
Pakistan’s military on Thursday admitted to intelligence “shortcomings” on pinpointing Bin Laden’s location and ordered an investigation.
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