Washington: A group of Pakistani dissidents have expressed dismay over Prime Minister Imran Khan calling slain al-Qaeda chief and 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden a “martyr,” saying this could be out of a “sinister reason” of putting the West, especially the US on notice.
Under the banner of South Asians Against Terrorism & For Human Rights (SAATH) Forum, the group that includes Pakistan’s former envoy to the US Hussain Haqqani, condemned Khan for making such a statement in Parliament. Speaking in Parliament during the budget session on June 25, Khan called bin Laden a “shaheed” (martyr) and said that Islamabad faced “embarrassment” by taking part in America’s war on terror. (PTI)