- The current PTI leadership is “helpless”, says Khawaja Asif.
- Said PTI leaders are taking instructions from imprisoned Imran Khan.
- Pakistan enjoys good relations with the United States, the defense minister said.
Terming the current Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership as “helpless”, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif on Monday said negotiations could not be initiated until a clear message was received of the party’s incarcerated founder, Imran Khan.
Talk to Geo Newsthe defense minister said: “The current PTI leaders have nothing in their hands (lack of decision-making powers). »
The PTI founder, earlier this month, warned the government of launching a “civil disobedience” movement if his demands, including a judicial inquiry into the crackdown on party supporters, are not met. not satisfied. He also formed a negotiating committee to discuss with the government.
Raising questions over the viability of talks with the PTI, the minister said the current leadership of the embattled party was not on the same page, adding that there were differences in the party’s ranks in difficulty. “They all make statements against each other.”
Stressing the need for a “clear message” from the jailed PTI founder to enable party members to hold talks with the government, the minister said: “They (PTI leaders) are all receiving instructions from the founder of the PTI.
The PTI founder should request the ruling government that he is willing to start negotiations with the government.
Talking about other issues, the minister said that Pakistan is a sovereign country and enjoys good relations with the United States.
“The United States provides support to many of our financial institutions from time to time,” he added.
The minister asked: “If the United States was angry with us, could we have gotten the International Monetary Fund (IMF) program?
In September, the IMF Executive Board approved a $7 billion Extended Financing Facility (EFF) for Pakistan, with the first tranche amounting to $1.1 billion.
Replying to another question, Asif said, “We have only one problem with Afghanistan: the land should not be used by the (banned) Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The TTP has reportedly been using Afghan soil for cross-border attacks inside Pakistan since the Taliban captured Kabul in August 2021.
Pakistan has seen a surge in terrorist attacks against security forces and civilians – notably in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan – since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan following the withdrawal of US and NATO forces.
According to a report from the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), the third quarter (July-September) 2024 was marked by a sharp increase in deaths due to terrorist violence and anti-terrorism campaigns, with an increase in violence by 90%.
A total of 722 people were killed, including civilians, security personnel and outlaws, while 615 others were injured in 328 incidents recorded during the reporting period.