Imran Khan's contentious remarks as Pak PM on Osama, sexual crimes - A look back
Here are 8 most controversial remarks made by Imran Khan during his tenure as Prime Minister.
Imran Khan - who became the first Pakistan prime minister on Saturday to be ousted with a no confidence vote - had a controversial term ever since the cricket star-turned-politician was elected to power in 2018. On several occasions, he made headlines for his controversial remarks during his tenure. The 69-year-old - who the critics say could not keep the economy on track - faced severe backlash from the international community when his Moscow visit synced with the start of the Ukraine war; he had described it as "exciting times". Another controversial moment was when he faced heat for his victim blaming remarks on sexual violence in Pakistan.
Here are 8 most controversial remarks made by Imran Khan during his tenure as Prime Minister
1. "Women wearing few clothes impact men"
In an interview last year, Imran Khan blamed a rise in the cases of sexual violence on how women dress in the country. "If a woman is wearing very few clothes it will have an impact on the men unless they are robots. It's common sense," he said. Khan also said that the concept of 'purdah' (a religious and social practice of female seclusion) is a means to avoid 'temptation' in society.
2. "Sexual crimes rising due to mobile phones"
While speaking about the "correct usage" of modern technology, Khan in August stirred a controversy when he said that sexual crimes were on a rise in Pakistan due to the "misuse" of mobile phones. "Sexual crimes are on the rise due to the misuse of mobile phones," Khan was quoted as saying by Pakistani media. "We need to educate our children about the supreme qualities of the Seerat-e-Nabi".
3. Osama bin Laden a "martyr"
Imran Khan had a "slip of tongue" when he called former al-Qaeda chief and 9/11 terror attacks mastermind Osama bin Laden a ‘martyr’ in June last year. "I will never forget how we Pakistanis were embarrassed when the Americans came into Abbottabad and killed Osama bin Laden, martyred him," Khan had said while addressing the National Assembly.
4. The prices of “aloo and tamatar”
"I didn't join politics to know the prices of 'aloo and tamatar' (potatoes and tomatoes). I joined it for the sake of the country's youth", Khan said last month as the opposition parties accused him of mismanaging the economy.
5. Afghans now "free from slavery"
A day after the Taliban seized power in Kabul in August 2021 and Ashraf Ghani fled the war-torn country, Khan said Afghans have "broken the chains of slavery in the country". "When you adopt someone’s culture you believe it to be superior and you end up becoming a slave to it. It is more difficult to free your mind from mental slavery. Afghans have broken the shackles of slavery," he was quoted as saying in reports.
6. "Germany and Japan share borders"
While speaking at an event in Tehran in 2019, Khan said Germany and Japan share borders. “Germany and Japan killed millions of their civilians until after the Second World War when they decided that they would have, on the border region of Germany and Japan, they had joint industries,” Khan had said.
7. "No mention of Jesus in history"
Imran Khan also made headlines in Dec 2018 when he stirred a row by saying that there was no mention of 'Jesus' in recorded human history. Khan made the statement during his address at a conference to celebrate the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammed "There is no mention of Jesus Christ (Hazrat Eesa) in any books of history," Khan said in Lahore as per multiple media reports.
8. "So much excitement"
Just hours before Russian President Vladimir Putin declared war on Ukraine in late February, Imran Khan arrived in Moscow with all smiles. “What a time to come, so much excitement,” Khan remarked as per the Wall Street Journal.
