Pakistan's Prime Minister on Wednesday, while addressing the Parliament, called Osama Bin Laden a ‘shaheed’ (martyr).
The usage of the word 'shaheed', which is usually used for soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the good of their nation, gathered a lot of criticism from the opposition leaders and the locals of Pakistan.
Also read: Pakistan PM Imran Khan calls Osama Bin Laden a 'martyr' in Parliament
Opposition political leader Khawaja Asif, described Laden as the “ultimate terrorist” and said, “He destroyed my nation, and he (Khan) is calling him a martyr."
Mohsin Dawar, Member of Parliament and leader of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement, also lashed back at the Prime Minister and reminded the PM about the numerous victims and soldiers who lost their lives due to the terrorist activities in the country.
Bilwal Bhutto Zardari, Chairman of PPP, also said, "PM IK calling OBL a martyr in NA is consistent with his history of appeasement to violent extremism. It is during his govt that those involved in APS attack “escaped” & those involved in Daniel Pearls murder get relief. Running with the hare & hunting with the hound."
However, Khan's minister Dr. Shahbaz Gill tried to come to his defense by tweeting that the remarks were being misread with a "clear intent to make his remarks controversial unnecessarily."
PPP Senator Sherry Rehman also took to Twitter to criticise the remark and said that the country was a victim of terrorst attacks caused due to Osama Bin Laden. "Because of him the country is in such a state and you are presenting him as a hero on the assembly floor?"
"Remember that Osama Bin Laden can be the PM's hero but not the nation's. He was and will remain a criminal of the state and the people," she tweeted.
Khan's statement came after the US issued a report claiming that Pakistan continues to serve as a safe haven for terrorist groups.
“While the report recognizes that al Qaeda has been seriously degraded in the region, it neglects to mention Pakistan’s crucial role in decimating al Qaeda, thereby diminishing the threat that the terrorist group once posed to the world,” a foreign office statement said on Thursday.