ISLAMABAD:
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif fired a broadside against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan on Friday, accusing the incarcerated former prime minister of going against the interests of the country for achieving his own nefarious goals.
Speaking in an interview, Asif said that Imran wanted to make the army a subsidiary institution of his support, adding however, Imran was licking his wounds after his exit from the government through a no-confidence motion in the National Assembly in April 2022.
“He was Imran who had declared army chief as the father of the nation, and now he is hurling abuses at the one, he had once call father,” Asif said, referring to the PTI’s campaign against the army chief, who was currently visiting the United Kingdom. “Imran wanted to make Faiz Hameed the army chief.”
Asked about the PTI protests in London, the defence minister stated that Pakistan had important diplomatic, military and economic relations with that country, adding that the two countries had exemplary relations in various fields.
“On the one hand he [the PTI founder] is writing three, four letters,” he said, and on the other, he was “protesting outside the country and using abusive language on the social media about every institution and every person. “They did [acts of violence on] May 9 and November 26 with nefarious purposes.”
He said that the PTI people were trying to sabotage the economy through propaganda. “They are not sincere with anything, nor do they have any commitment. The people of Pakistan are aware of that and they are seeing all this,” he added.
Asif warned that such tactics would not give the government back to Imran. “Pakistan is currently on the path to development and no force or conspiracy can harm the country. The army is currently making unprecedented sacrifices in the war against terrorism. Such patriotism is unprecedented in history.”
On the other hand, Asif questioned Imran’s loyalty to Pakistan. However, he stressed that “this time shall pass too, and the things are getting better”. He added: “In a few months or years everything will be fine and his politics of chaos will be buried forever.”
