Bin Laden panel wants to quiz Pakistani PM

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, May 14 (UPI) -- Pakistan's prime minister will be asked for what could be a "very crucial statement" to a commission investigating the U.S. raid that killed Osama bin Laden.

"The commission will send a formal request to the premier [Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani] to have a meeting with its members when he comes back from his London trip," an official with knowledge about the proceedings told The Express Tribune in an article published Monday.

Gilani was the country's leader when the al-Qaida founder was killed last year in Abbottabad by U.S. commandos. The Tribune's source said at least one commission member indicated [Gilani] may have "something important to share with us."

"His is going to be a very crucial statement and we would like to hear from him," the source said.

The Pakistani government formed a five-member judicial commission to investigate:

-- How bin Laden escaped detection for the nearly five years he lived in Abbottabad.

-- Events that led to the raid and his death May 2, 2011.

The commission was expected to submit its report at the end of last year. But it still was still working to complete its findings because of "indecision" about whether to hold somebody from within the Pakistani political or military leadership accountable, the Express Tribune said.

News that the commission wants a statement from the prime minister came after it was reported that the panel likely would at least partly blame the raid on Gilani.

Last week, the commission said it was still awaiting a response from President Asif Ali Zardari to questions sent more than two months ago.