Asif says PTI succeeded in establishing contact with ‘establishment’

ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Tuesday that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has succeeded in its aim to establish contact with the establishment.

Talking to journalists outside Parliament House, he said that the PTI has confirmed that they have made contact with the establishment.

“If that is the case, what is the need for holding talks with us,” he questioned.

Asif remarked that PTI’s goal was to reach the establishment and they have succeeded in it, adding that talks are part of politics, but their efforts were focused elsewhere.

Regarding external pressures, he reiterated Pakistan’s stance on sovereignty, adding there will be no compromise on our national security and sovereignty.

“If there is any foreign demand for the release of the PTI founder, we will act in line with our national interests. We don’t interfere in others’ domestic matters and we will not tolerate any interference in ours,” he added.

He also addressed inquiries about the Sharif brothers, stating that their meetings are a normal occurrence as they are family.

“During PTI’s negotiations with us, cases against their leadership were ongoing, and witnesses had already testified,” he said, adding that PTI had acknowledged that case decisions would not impact negotiations.

The defence minister underscored the importance of preserving Pakistan’s internal and external interests, while refusing any external pressure.

However, talking to journalists outside Parliament House, the opposition leader in National Assembly Omar Ayub, PTI chairman Gohar Ali Khan, Asad Qaiser and other senior leaders, said that the party would knock on the doors of high courts today (Tuesday).

Ayub said that Hassan Nawaz – the England-based son of ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif – must be asked how he managed to allegedly take R40 billion to England, adding that the Al-Qadir Trust case is not against Imran Khan as it is a charge-sheet against Hassan Nawaz.

Barrister Gohar said that the Al-Qadir Trust case is not a corruption case as it involves a trust, from which both Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi had not gained any personal benefits.

He said that the PTI founding chairman was accused of misusing the authority and the prosecution failed to prove that Imran Khan had done any corruption. “It’s a politically motivated case which will be thrown out from the high court,” he opined.

To a question about rejecting PTI’s demand to form the commissions to probe into May 9 and November 28 events, he said that a commission can be formed on anything and the reason cited by the government is running away to face the facts.

He said that Imran Khan had standing directives to the negotiation committee of PTI to withdraw from further talks with the government if a judicial commission is not formed within seven days.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025