Pakistan Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry came in defence of Imran Khan when he said that the PM’s statement on former al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, calling him a martyr was nothing but a ‘slip of the tongue’.

Speaking to a Pakistan New channel, Chaudhry further emphasized that Pakistan considers Osama Bin Laden a terrorist and al-Qaeda as a terrorist outfit.

This statement came in the backdrop of a statement made by Prime Minister Imran Khan while addressing the National Assembly. During the address, the Prime Minister had recalled how the Americans had conducted an operation in Abbottabad and “killed Osama Bin Laden, martyred him”.

Following the statement, a viral video clip was also circulated where Imran Khan was seen lashing out at the United States for how Laden had been killed in Abbottabad. Khan said, “Shaheed Kar Diya”.

While the PM received flak from people across the world, many of his state minister stood by him defending his words. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, most recently, in an interview with TOLO News, claimed that Khan’s remarks were taken “out of context”.

“He was quoted out of context. And, uh, you know, a particular section of the media played it up,” he added. “I will let that pass,” said Qureshi when he was asked whether he disagreed that bin Laden was a martyr.

Osama bin Laden was killed in a military operation by US Navy Seals in 2011 at the garrison town Abbottabad. He was the head of the global terror group Al Qaeda and the brain behind the 9/11 terror attacks on the United States in 2001.