Islamabad: Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif predicted on Friday that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, led by former premier Imran Khan, will soon become irrelevant due to its violence-prone politics. Asif made the statement as the PTI plans to launch a fresh round of protests across the country to renew pressure on the government for the release of Khan, 72, who has been in jail since August 2023.
“Things will settle down soon and their [PTI] relevance will end as will their politics of inciting violence,” Asif told the media. Asif dismissed the PTI's conduct as anything but political and asserted that its actions had been exposed to the public. He said the party’s politics was just for one person.
“The PTI’s politics is for one individual as they have no concern for the country,” Asif said, adding that the PTI after losing power was now “licking its wounds” and resorting to conspiracies. “The PTI founder wanted the army to become a subsidiary of his party,” he alleged. The minister also talked about the May 9, 2023, and November 26, 2024, incidents and claimed the violence was orchestrated for “nefarious purposes”.
He said that attacks on national assets and the desecration of martyrs’ memorials were undeniable realities. Asif said that PTI, including Khan, used to have close ties with the army chief in the past. “Now, the party and supporters use foul language against the army.” “The kind of tactics PTI uses are not seen anywhere else in the world," he said, adding the country’s situation was improving, causing heightened anxiety for the party.
Asif also spoke about the visit of Army Chief General Asim Munir to the UK where he was given a guard of honour, saying Pakistan enjoyed long-standing diplomatic, military, and economic ties with the UK, terming the bilateral relationship “exemplary”.
The minister further said: “The army is rendering sacrifices for the country, but the PTI continues to spread propaganda against Pakistan." The political tension is not abating in Pakistan as the detained Khan refused to buckle and repeatedly launched verbal attacks on the government. His party plans to restart protests while fighting legal battles in the courts.
The only concerted effort to end the tension through talks failed last month after the government was reluctant to accept the two key demands of the PTI regarding the formation of probe commissions about May 9, 2023, and November 26, 2024, violence and release of all PTI leaders, including Khan.
