Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has claimed that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has sought help from the United States to regain power.
Speaking in an exclusive conversation with Samaa TV, Asif stated that PTI is “begging” the US to facilitate its return to power, adding that the party's narrative of “absolutely not” to the US has changed to “absolutely yes”.
Asif criticized the PTI for approaching various branches of the US government, including the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the State Department, in a bid to regain influence. He further alleged that the former ruling party has "knelt before the US", adding that it paid lobbyists to get anti-Pakistan resolutions passed in the US House of Representatives.
Despite these claims, Asif emphasized Pakistan's desire to maintain good relations with the US, stressing that these relations should not hinder Pakistan's efforts to eradicate terrorism and achieve economic recovery. "We want no obstacle to stand in the way of ending terrorism and economic recovery of Pakistan," Asif remarked.
"Pakistan is a sovereign country, and American resolutions do not matter to us. The American administration also did not take any notice of the resolution passed by the House of Representatives. Washington's policy revolves around its own interests," he added.
Discussing Pakistan's ongoing military efforts, Asif highlighted Operation Azm-e-Istehkam as a critical step towards national stability, the decision for which he said was made due to the severity of terrorism. He called for nationwide unity in combating terrorism and urged all citizens to support the military's efforts. Asif underscored the challenges posed by terrorism, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, and stressed the importance of economic recovery in conjunction with counter-terrorism efforts.
"Pakistan needs economic recovery, which will be difficult as long as there is terrorism," Asif maintained.
Asif also addressed the issue of external forces promoting terrorism in Pakistan, suggesting that these forces aim to weaken the country and want Pakistan to keep begging and give up. He also hinted at the possibility of taking action against terrorists operating from within Afghanistan, while expressing a preference for a diplomatic solution involving all parties, including Afghanistan.
"We want to avoid action against terrorists inside Afghanistan," Asif stated, advocating for a collective approach to address the issue. "All parties, including Afghanistan, should sit down and find a solution to terrorism."
He mentioned the potential for an All-Party Conference (APC) to find a unified solution to terrorism, although the date for the APC has yet to be finalized.
