Defence Minister Khawaja Asif asserted on Tuesday that nobody was willing to trust Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan.
Expressing his thoughts on Samaa TV programme, "Nadeem Malik Live”, Asif said: “The PTI founder will remain in jail. We will see what happens if the new United States administration mounts pressure in line with Imran Khan. We will absorb the US pressure as we did in the past as well."
He lashed out at the PTI founder, saying, “When Imran Khan was in power, he used to claim that he was ruling the country. Now after getting out of the power, he claims that Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa was ruling the country.”
Speaking about the negotiations with the PTI, Asif said, “The negotiations should be ended in a way where the PTI can be trusted. I am in the favour of talks.”
He shed light on the impact of the US on the International Monetary Fund (IMF), saying, “The IMF cannot address our problems if it is not the will of the US.”
Asif made it clear that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif was and will be his leader.
“The decisions happened in Punjab and centre at the will of Nawaz Sharif,” he said.
Recalling former president Pervez Musharraf’s regime, Asif said: “The establishment at the time of Pervez Musharraf’s era wanted to award Nawaz Sharif the death sentence. However, Musharraf had said that it was not appropriate to award Nawaz Sharif the death sentence.”
“Raheel Sharif had tried to extend his services as the army chief. But Nawaz Sharif was not convinced,” claimed Asif.
Recounting the PTI’s sit-in in 2014, Asif said: “Gen Pasha and Gen Zaheerul Islam had organised the sit-in for the PTI back in 2014.”
Asif said: “There is a need to establish the commission since the time of the PTI protest in 2014. We are ready to constitute the commission from 2014 to onwards if the PTI accepts.”
“The PTI was not ready to hold talks with the politicians. Now the party (PTI) is holding talks with us,” he said.
Speaking about Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Asim Munir’s meeting with PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Asif said: “The army chief has apprised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of the meeting held with Barrister Gohar.”
“The army chief had urged the need for holding the political talks merely with the politicians,” he said.
Asif maintained, “Even Barrister Gohar has himself said that the political conversation was not held with the army chief.”
