PM Imran calls bin Laden "Martyr"

A few years earlier during an interview given to Indian television NDTV, Imran khan, as the leader of opposition quoted the founder and first head of Al-Qaeda; Osama bin Laden a martyr. In that interview he said; the way in which he (Osama bin laden) was killed has made him a martyr in the eyes of few.

Many years later of this interview, Imran Khan as the prime minister of Pakistan, mentioned the death of Osama bin laden. During his address on Thursday 25th of June 2020, to the lower house of parliament, in such a way that made Osama bin laden a trend in Pakistan.

While he was talking about different issues where the Pakistani nation had to be embarrassed at the international level, he pointed out the incident of Abbottabad. He said, “This is the incident that embarrassed Pakistanis. They came to Abbottabad and killed Osama bin laden, martyred him. After which, the whole world cursed us.”

 “That means our ally came to our country, without telling us and takes action. By that time, seventy thousand of our Pakistanis had died in this war”, he said while pointing out on the United States Navy SEAL’s action in Abbottabad on the 2nd of May 2011.

The US claims that in operation code-named “Operation Neptune Spear”; the US DEVGRU or the SEAL team six; raided Osama bin laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan on 2nd May 2011, shortly after 1:00 am PST, and killed bin laden. The US military officials said that after the operation, the forces took Osama bin laden’s body with them to Afghanistan for identification.

While the raid was welcome by the European Union, NATO, and the United Nations, it was condemned by the Pakistani public. Others including, Amnesty international, questioned the ethical and legal aspects of killing. The decision about not to release any evidence or photograph of Osama bin laden’s death was also controversial.

After the very moment of PM's address, the clip went viral in Pakistan as well in abroad. PM Imran Khan said this while he was talking and expressing his government's foreign policy. Where he called the current foreign policy as the most successful foreign policy, he also enlightens the current government's relations with the US and that of previous governments. 

“We cooperated with the United State’s war on terrorism. The humiliation that Pakistan had to endure because of this, I don’t think any country has sided the United States in war, and the United States contrary accused her. Even if the United States did not succeed in Afghanistan, Pakistan was held responsible for this.” said PM Imran Khan.

He mentioned the Abbottabad incident and the humiliation the Pakistani nation faced. Prime Minister Imran Khan said that another embarrassment as a nation was the US drone strikes in Pakistan.

Imran Khan quoted that the previous government’s claims that they don’t know about these drone attacks, but then the US officials said that these attacks were carried out by the Pakistani government’s permission. The US officials also said that they don’t know why the government was lying to its people.

He addressed that his government had adopted the policy not to take part in any war and would help to bring peace. “Today, no one says Pakistan is cheating. Our relations are now such that no one humiliates us, rather we are being asked to help on Afghanistan issue,” said PM Imran Khan.