Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan has condemned the US' Operation Neptune Spear, which resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden, arguing that Washington not only killed, but "martyred" the terrorist.
The prime minister went on to argue that the assassination damaged Pakistan's global image, as it was carried out on the country's territory without the government's consent.
"The Americans came and killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad...martyred him. What happened after that? The entire world hurled abuses at us. Our own ally (US) entered our country and killed someone without even telling us about it. It was this big a humiliation", the prime minister said.
Imran Khan went on to note that US actions and the war in Afghanistan have claimed the lives of nearly 70,000 Pakistanis.
PM Pakistan Imran Khan considers Osama bin Laden a martyr. pic.twitter.com/tax0t3V5wg
— Naila Inayat नायला इनायत (@nailainayat) June 25, 2020
US Navy SEALs infiltrated bin Laden's hideout in Abbottabad, Pakistan on 2 May 2011 and killed the terrorist, burying his body at sea to prevent his grave from attracting followers. The entire operation was carried out without notifying Pakistani authorities.
In addition to this, the fact that bin Laden was hiding in close proximity with the Pakistan Military Academy and less than 100 kilometres from Islamabad sparked speculation that the Pakistani government was aware of his whereabouts. This theory was covered by The New York Times Magazine, but was vehemently denied by both the American and Pakistani authorities.
The US had actively been trying to capture bin Laden since 2001 after the 9/11 terror attacks, which destroyed the World Trade Centre in New York and damaged the Pentagon building. The terrorist claimed responsibility for organising the attack, one of the most tragic in history and which claimed the lives of nearly 3,000 people and left 25,000 injured.
