Pakistan’s prime minister said the US “martyred” al Qaida leader Osama bin Laden – a term normally reserved for honourable figures slain in battle. The special operations force swooped into Pakistan’s military garrison town of Abbottabad in the middle of the night on May 2 2011, killing bin Laden and several of his operatives. After the September 11 attacks, Pakistan turned and became an ally of the United States against the Taliban, who were ousted by a US-led coalition in November 2011. However, opposition politician Khwaja Mohammed Asif was critical of Mr Khan for calling bin Laden a martyr, saying the al Qaida chief had brought terrorism to Pakistan. “He (bin Laden) ruined my country but he (Khan) is calling him a martyr,” he said.

Source: Irish Independent June 26, 2020 04:07 UTC