Defence Minister Khawaja Asif launched a scathing critique of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Friday, accusing the occasion of prioritising the appointment of a military chief to safeguard its political ambitions.
“A military chief who protects PTI’s rule turns into its ‘father (grasp),’ however when a military chief safeguards Pakistan’s pursuits and embodies patriotism, PTI levels protests in opposition to him in the US,” stated Asif, a senior chief of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
The federal minister, in a submit on X, lambasted PTI for prioritising private and political pursuits over nationwide integrity.
He accused the occasion of exploiting abroad platforms, together with makes an attempt to stress establishments just like the Worldwide Financial Fund (IMF) in opposition to Pakistan.
“These people stay silent on [Middle East crisis] however actively work in opposition to Pakistan’s pursuits overseas,” he stated, including that these undermining nationwide pursuits ought to face penalties.
Asif additionally referred to as for the abolishment of twin citizenship privileges, noting that many nations had already completed so. He urged Pakistanis overseas to behave responsibly and never jeopardise the nation’s welfare.
Criticising PTI’s political ways, he remarked: “If they’re so anticipating politics, they need to return to Pakistan and perceive the struggles of on a regular basis life as an alternative of waging social media wars.”
The minister accused PTI of “hypocrisy” in its dealings with the institution, saying that the occasion’s leaders are prepared to undergo Military Chief Normal Asim Munir for negotiations however resort to hostile actions when issues don’t go their manner.
“Their willingness to bow sooner or later and incite Might 9-like chaos the subsequent displays their acceptance of international domination,” he concluded.
The PML-N led authorities and arch-rivals have been at loggerheads over the latter’s position within the violent Might 9 protest in opposition to occasion founder Imran Khan’s arrest and long-held demand of his launch as the previous prime minister stays incarcerated at Adiala jail.
The latest try and get the cricketer-turned- politician freed was the PTI’s march on Islamabad on November 24, which noticed a minimum of 4 days of dysfunction within the federal capital and Punjab as authorities sealed off key factors to carry again the protesters.
At the very least three personnel of Rangers and a cop have been martyred when the most recent PTI protest turned violent.
A complete of 1,151 protestors have been arrested, together with 64 Afghan nationals, with authorities saying that they’ve seized weapons, ball bearings and spiked golf equipment from the arrested Afghans.
In the meantime, PTI chief Salman Akram Raja claimed that 20 folks had died throughout the protests, a declare denied by authorities.