Pak Minister defends Imran Khan, says calling Osama bin Laden a ‘martyr’ was slip of tongue

Islamabad: Pakistan Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry has said that Prime Minister Imran Khan calling slain Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden a "martyr" last year was a "slip of the tongue".

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan during a speech in Parliament in June 2020 had said, "The Americans came to Abbottabad and killed, martyred Osama bin Laden. What happened after that? The entire world cursed at us and spoke ill of us."

Mr Chaudhry tried to play down saying that Pakistan's stance on terror has remained clear and it had even voted in favour of Al Qaeda being listed on the terrorist list at the United Nations. The Minister claimed that Pakistan follows international law.

"It was a slip of the tongue. He had clarified it," Mr Chaudhry said as quoted by Geo News.

Mr Khan had received flak from various quarters for using an honourable term for the dreaded terrorist.

Opposition parties had also lambasted the cricketer-turned-politician for his remarks. Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had said that the prime minister's choice of words was consistent with "his history of appeasement to violent extremism". (UNI)