Sources: Pakistan Intel Chief Offered to Resign

The chief of Pakistan's powerful intelligence agency offered to resign in parliament following the U.S. commandos raid that shot dead Osama bin Laden, sources said Saturday.

Ahmad Shuja Pasha, chief of military operations and deputy chief of air staff, briefed lawmakers on Friday before they issued a resolution Saturday condemning Washington's unilateral action.

The session was closed to the media but sources told Agence France Presse on condition of anonymity that Pasha had offered to resign and had said that he was ready to appear before any commission set up by parliament.

"Yes, General Pasha had offered to tender his resignation," a parliamentary source told AFP.

A second source confirmed that the general had said he would resign if the parliament asked and present himself before any commission the lawmakers set up.

Media reports said Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Army Chief General Ashfaq Kayani urged Pasha not to quit but these could not be verified immediately.

Pakistan's ISI had been bearing the brunt of criticism following the May 2 raid by U.S. commandos on a compound in northwestern Abbottabad city where al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden was hiding.

Pakistanis were angry that the ISI was not aware of bin Laden living at a leafy suburb of Abbottabad for the past five years and that their military could not detect and check the incursion by U.S. helicopters.

The lawmakers called on the government "to appoint an independent commission on the Abbottabad operation, fix responsibility and recommend necessary measures to ensure that such an incident does not recur".

Parliament also threatened to withdraw logistical cooperation for U.S. troops based in Afghanistan and hit out at the drone strikes.

"Such drone attacks must be stopped forthwith, failing which the government will be constrained to consider taking necessary steps including withdrawal of (the) transit facility allowed to NATO," the resolution said.