Imran Khan says he felt humiliated when Osama bin Laden was killed on Pakistani soil in daring US strike

Washington: Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan on Tuesday said that he felt humiliated when the US forces killed the dreaded terrorist Osama bin Laden in a daring strike inside Pakistan in 2011. Speaking at the US Institute of Peace, Khan said the US did not trust Pakistan over the issue of Osama bin Laden. [caption id=“attachment_6178691” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan. Reuters[/caption] “Never did I feel more humiliated because here was a country which was supposed to be an ally and our ally did not trust us”, Khan said in response to a question. Khan, who is on a three-day official visit to the US, met President Donald Trump - the first face-to-face interaction between the two leaders - on Monday in the White House. He described the meeting as very successful, which has reset the bilateral relationship. Khan said he wants to have a relationship of friendship with the US. “For every Pakistani, it was humiliating. We never want to be in that same position again. It does not matter, a friend can be rich and the other cannot be so rich. So it’s about a dignified relationship and that’s what I hope”, he said. 40 militant groups were operating in Pakistan “We were fighting the US war on terror. Pakistan has nothing to do with 9/11. Al-Qaeda was in Afghanistan. There were no militant Taliban in Pakistan. But we joined the US war. Unfortunately, when things went wrong, where I blame my government, we did not tell the US exactly the truth on the ground”, Khan said. He was addressing a Capitol Hill reception hosted by Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Chairperson of the Congressional Pakistan Caucus. Lee is also a member of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans. Part of the reason for this, Khan explained to the lawmakers, was that the Pakistani governments were not in control. “There were 40 different militant groups operating within Pakistan. So Pakistan went through a period where people like us were worried about could we survive it. So while the US expected us to do more and help the US win the war, Pakistan at that time was fighting for its own existence”, Khan said. Khan said it was very important that he met President Donald Trump and other top American leaders. “We have explained to them that the way forward is: number one, the relationship has to be based on mutual trust”, he said, adding that he would be honest in telling the US what Pakistan could do in the peace process. Pakistan, Khan said, was trying its best to get the Taliban on the table to start this dialogue. “So far, we have done pretty well”, he said and cautioned the US that the process was not going to be easy. “Do not expect this to be easy, because it is a very complicated situation in Afghanistan. But rest assured, we would be trying our best. The whole country is standing behind me. The Pakistan Army, the security forces, all are behind me. We all have one objective and it is exactly the same objective as the US, which is to have a peaceful solution as quickly as possible in Afghanistan”, Khan said.