Federal Minister for Defense and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Asif has called on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan to steer away from politics driven by revenge and revolution.
In an exclusive interview with Samaa TV, he emphasized the need for constructive politics that focuses on national interest rather than personal vendettas.
Khawaja Asif remarked that the relationship between the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) and PML-N remains intact despite natural differences, which both parties strive to maintain while preserving their distinct identities.
He criticised the political climate over the past decade, particularly since PTI’s emergence, for devolving into personal rivalries and intensifying discord.
The minister highlighted the role of social media in propagating abusive political discourse, a trend he attributed to PTI’s influence. He praised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s decision to shut down the Public Works Department (PWD), citing its deep-rooted corruption.
He described the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) as another bastion of corruption, lamenting that corrupt practices have become normalized within society.
The PML-N leader stressed that societal reform must start from the top, noting that parliamentarians’ salaries are modest compared to the lucrative opportunities for corruption in various institutions. He acknowledged the prevalence of corruption across sectors, attributing much of it to bureaucratic complicity.
According to Asif, no matter which party is in power, the bureaucracy’s “meter” keeps running, undermining efforts to curb corruption.
